


Catal Rhythm

by Nightmare_Taichou



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Drama, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-03-10 20:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 156,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13509438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmare_Taichou/pseuds/Nightmare_Taichou
Summary: They say luck comes to those who least expect it.Unsuspectingly, Takao received a message and saw that it was a notification from a site ―Seimei that he uses in his spare time. Apart from basketball, he really loved singing even though he does a little rapping sometimes. So, in his free time, he usually makes song covers and posts them there. When he read the message, his face lit up like a light-bulb."This would be so awesome!" he said with glee. But he deflated in an instant. "Where am I going to find four other persons willing to do this with me?"And as luck would have it, he ran into Kuroko and Kagami at Maji's, and later on Kasamatsu and Kise. With the power of persuasion, Takao managed to convince the other four boys and through an unbelievable turn of events; Kuroko, Kagami, Kasamatsu, Kise and Takao became idols, hoping to top the world of music.





	1. The Competition

 

A dark-haired youth walked down the tarmac sidewalk, humming a tune as he did so. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and he was glad that he didn't have weekend practice. It was just yesterday that they had lost to Seirin in the Inter-High Preliminary Final and honestly, none of the boys at Shutoku felt compelled to practice. After all, that wound is still fresh.

"Man, I wonder what Shin-chan's doing right now?" Yes, Takao Kazunari he was. He chuckled slightly as he remembered Midorima's face. To be honest, he was appalled at the shooter's reaction when they had lost, but more so, he was shocked at Kagami's freakish jumps. Never before has he seen anyone jumped high enough to stop _Midorima._ After all, the shooting guard is already tall to begin with.

It was when he had reached a cross-road that he heard a message come in. Pausing, he opened it up and saw that it was a notification from a site ― _Seimei_ that he uses in his spare time. Apart from basketball, he really loved singing even though he does a little rapping sometimes. So, in his free time, he usually makes song covers and posts them there. When he read the message, his face lit up like a light-bulb.

"This would be so awesome!" he said with glee. But he deflated in an instant. "Where am I going to find four other persons willing to do this with me?"

Takao felt sullen. The message he got outlined a competition that in groups of five or more, persons are to do a cover of any song of their choice or an original piece. They may add dance moves to their performance; for those doing the cover, they may change the musical composition (but not too much that the song is unrecognizable). He really wanted to enter this competition, but he just couldn't think of anyone who would be willing do this.

He couldn't ask the third years as he knew that they would say something along the lines of:

" _If you have time to even think about this, then you aren't practicing hard enough_ ," that's what Otsubo would probably say.

" _We can't help you. We have entrance exams to prepare for plus the Winter Tournament_." That would probably be Kimura.

" _Kimura! Give me a pineapple to knock some senses back into this boy!_ " Yep, Miyaji would definitely say and _do_ that.

Sadly, there was no one that the hawk-eyed boy could ask. He then walked past Maji Burger and right at the window, he spotted Kagami with a ton load of burgers in front of him. His eyes then shifted across to spot Kuroko, who only had a milkshake sipping on.

An idea then popped into his head and he prayed that this will work…that they will agree. Without any further ado, he entered the establishment and swiftly took a seat beside Kuroko.

"Hello!" he greeted with a beaming smile.

_xxxx_

"All right! Good work boys!" Riko's voice echoed inside the gym. As soon as she said this, there was a unison groan coming from the boys present. They all collapsed onto the floor, panting for air.

"Damn it," Kagami said seeming as though he was struggling to breathe. "We played two matches against two kings yesterday! How could she do this to us!?"

"Shh," Koganei said with a finger on his lips. "Be careful. She may hear you."

"I'm sore. I'm beat. I can't move. I feel like I'm going to get arthritis." Izuki groaned in agony. "How am I going to reach home? I can't walk."

The others nodded their agreement.

Soon after, they then managed to crawl their way to the locker rooms where they freshened up and each went their separate ways. But, as per usual, Kuroko and Kagami didn't. They always went home together, being that their houses are in the same direction.

Hearing Kagami's stomach growls, Kuroko then decided to go to Maji Burger, plus he absolutely loved their milkshakes. After walking and talking about nothing but basketball and the Generation of Miracles, the duo reached their destination. A grin formed on Kagami's face as inside wasn't as full as it usually was on weekdays, and this time, he won't have to join any long lines to be served.

Kuroko went to secure their seats by the window, the small teen loved to gaze outside whenever he feels like. It was a habit, he mused, but he loved it anyway.

After a few minutes, Kagami then arrived with his order and Kuroko's milkshake. They then continued their conversation from earlier, of course, it centring on basketball. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed when someone had slipped in beside Kuroko.

"Hello!" he chirped.

Kagami promptly choked and proceeded to hit his chest.

"Takao-kun, what a surprise." Kuroko said, totally ignoring Kagami.

"I could say likewise." He grinned.

"Takao!" Kagami shouted in shock after he recovered from his coughing fit. "Where'd you come from?!"

"Outside." the hawk-eyed boy replied in a matter of factly.

"What brings you here?" Kuroko then asked. "Are you getting something to eat?"

"Ah, no." He said. "I'm here to ask you a favour."

The Light and Shadow pair exchanged glances with each other. Then Kagami spoke, "Please don't tell me it's something involving Midorima."

"No it's not." Takao said, waving his hands in dismissal. "It's actually ―"

"Kurokocchi!"

The three boys turned around to see Kise and Kasamatsu heading towards them, each with their trays. Takao could have sworn that he heard Kuroko groaned in what seemed to be agony, and the look on Kagami's face was priceless. _Do they hate Kise that much?_ But then, a bright idea entered his mind. He looked at the table. Kuroko, Kagami, Kise, Kasamatsu and himself.

He grinned. _The gods are smiling down on me today!_

"Umm, guys." he started without wasting any time. "I'd like to ask a favour."

"Huh? I thought it was just us." Kagami said. "You're involving that blond too?"

Takao nodded. "I know that I'm not close to you guys, but please, I want to enter this competition." he then took out his phone, and showed them the message. "But I need four other people to enter. Would you guys be willing to?"

"Well you're right about that. And..." Kasamatsu started as he read the message. "...this is a _singing_ competition. Will ―" But he didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Of course!" Kise perked, totally cutting off his captain. "It'll be fun! I do karaoke all the time so this will be easy!" he then turned to Kasamatsu with pleading eyes. "Pwease, Senpai," he then batted his long lashes at the older boy. Kasamatsu inched away from the blond in disgust. "If you do this, I promise that I'll do anything you ask me to!"

This was a very good temptation for Kasamatsu which he'll _never_ pass up. "Sure. It's a deal." He smirked. "Everyone here is a witness to this. You ought to remember this moment well." He sounded a bit threatening here.

"That just leaves the two of you." Takao said, looking in Kuroko and Kagami's direction. He put on a pleading face.

"Sure, I don't mind." Kuroko answered quickly. He had a feeling that Kagami would have declined. "And I'm pretty sure that Kagami-kun won't either. Don't you?"

"What?! I never said ―!" He never got to finish that sentence as Kuroko promptly jabbed him in his side. "You little bastard!"

"Kagami-kun says that he will." Kuroko said. But everyone there could see that the redhead hadn't indicated what he'll do.

"But, there's something bothering me," Kagami then said. "This is a singing competition, so can everyone here even sing?"

They were silenced.

They then looked around at each other, waiting for someone to say something.

"Well, my voice is okay, I _guess_." Kise shrugged. "It just doesn't have glass breaking capabilities."

"Same here." Kasamatsu added.

"I can say that I have a good voice." Takao said. "I just need some proper training, and I rap too."

"Same." Kuroko said. "But I don't rap."

"I rap. I don't sing." Kagami said. "Ever."

"Taking the easy way out Kagamicchi," Kise chuckled.

"Sh-shut up! I really can't sing!"

"Well with a voice as coarse as yours, I shouldn't have been surprised."

"You little shit!"

"Now that's decided, what will we do?" Kasamatsu asked as he took a bite of his burger. He totally ignored the two arguing idiots. "Just to let you know, I can't dance. I'm as stiff as a ply board."

"Oh, right, the message did say we could add dance and other things to the performance." Kise said while tapping his chin in thought.

"Why can't we just sing and get it over with?" Kagami then asked.

"You must be joking." The other four said in unison.

"We need to add spice to our performance!" Takao shouted with vigour. "I want to win!"

"I can help with that." Kuroko then said.

"How?" the others came out and said.

"My father is a dance instructor."

Cue the choking fits. The hacking continued for some minutes, Kuroko could only look at the choking boys; but for Takao, he was staring slack-jawed at the boy.

"What?" Kuroko asked seeing how much they were staring at him.

"Kurokocchi, you can dance?" Kise asked as he was the first to recover.

"Yes, is that so much of a surprise?"

"Of course! Don't you suck at everything that requires physical exertion?" Kagami asked.

"No."

Cue the spluttering fits. Kise and Kagami were the most shocked, Kasamatsu and Takao not so much, since they aren't around the boy like the two former. Kise had then tried to say something, but nothing would come out; Kagami just stared.

"So…" Kasamatsu started to get the atmosphere back to normal, "...how long have you been dancing for? And what kind of dance do you do?" he then asked Kuroko.

"Ever since I was little." He answered with nonchalance. "I can dance practically anything."

"Even b-boying? You can do those bone-breaking acrobatics and stuff?"

"Yes." He responded. "And they aren't bone-breaking. Anyone can do them if they're flexible enough." Kasamatsu could only look on at the boy in shock.

"But why do you lack stamina so much and you're a dancer?!" Kagami asked.

"Kagami-kun, I don't dance _professionally_. Obviously, I'm not going to have the stamina and energy needed."

"Well, then, enough of this." Takao then joined. "Why don't we go see your father, Tetsu-chan?!" he perked.

" _Tetsu-chan_?!" Kise then shrieked. "You've met him _once_ before this and now you're calling him by a nickname? From his first name no less?!" his voice rose higher. " _This is an outrage!_ I have my rights too! Kurokocchi, I demand that I call you Tetsucchi!"

Kuroko looked at him with a blank stare but for those who knew him, they could see a hint of annoyance hidden within. However, Kuroko didn't respond, instead he continued to sip on his milkshake, seeming to ignore the blond.

"Are you ignoring me, Kurokocchi?" he then whined.

"So after Kagami-kun finishes eating we'll go see Dad, then." He then said while looking in Kasamatsu's direction.

"You really are ignoring me!"

_xxxx_

They had left Maji's right after Kagami had finished eating since he had the most burgers. But, in the meantime, they continued to discuss about the competition, brainstorming their choice of songs. Takao had suggested an upbeat song, but Kasamatsu quickly shot down that idea.

"We need a song that doesn't show us up." He had said. "Singing that song will be our downfall."

The others had ended up nodding in agreement. Once again, they started over, but none of the boys could think of something that has an upbeat tempo but at the same time with manageable vocals and if possible, a rap part for Kagami.

After some minutes, they were still empty handed. But due to them being so engrossed in trying to find a song, they had made it to the train station without even realizing. They could have taken the bus, but Kuroko insisted that the train would be easier.

"Ah, I didn't even know choosing a song would be this hard!" Takao whined when he had sat down. "Man, and I know that you can't think of choreography without knowing the music you'll be dancing to."

"Don't worry about it," Kagami said. "I'm sure we'll figure out something." At that time, Kise's phone rang out. But the ringtone that he used was a dubstep version of a popular song. That gave Kuroko an idea.

"Why don't we do a song with a beat like that, then?" he then asked.

"Huh?"

"I mean a song with an electronic beat. Usually, the singers tend to sound monotonous like they're mimicking robots. That way, we won't have to hit any high notes, or do too much fancy dancing." Kuroko replied.

"That's right," Kasamatsu nodded. "An EDM song is perfect for amateurs like us."

"But the problem is _which_ EDM song?" Takao asked.

After Kise was done with phone (it seemed that he was reading a message), he looked at the others with a grin on his face. Kagami shivered upon seeing Kise make a face such as that, but ignoring the action, the blond then said, "I have the perfect song, one that doesn't have too many insane high notes, and a rap part for Kagamicchi."

"Really?!" they all chorused, causing the other passengers to either jump in fright or stare at them menacingly.

"Of course, but I'll rather not play it here, people are staring." Kise said as he slumped into his seat.

"Right," After that, the boys endured the remainder of their journey in complete silence.

After minutes of riding the train, they dismounted before making their way to a beautiful building. It was about a five minute walk from the station, which the boys were glad for. The building had about four stories, painted in silver and black. The windows were all closed and covered with dark tints, and somehow, the boys felt as though they were about to enter a multi-million dollar business complex run by some scary tycoon.

Kuroko moved off, prompting the others follow behind him. When they entered through the revolving doors, the first thing that they noticed was that there were a lot of people scurrying about, some in office attire, some in what seemed to be casual attire.

"Seems like they're busy today." Kuroko said out loud as he looked about. He then walked up to the receptionist and with a simple greeting (even though she was frightened as she didn't notice him), Kuroko and company walked towards the elevator that was nestled to the left of the lobby.

When they entered, they exhaled a breath for some reason, Kuroko pushing the button for the third floor.

"But man, this is some place." Takao started. "Tetsu-chan, just where are we?"

"My father's dance studio." He replied with nonchalance.

"This entire place?!" they screeched.

"Yes, _everything_."

"Shit."

Just then, the door opened and revealed a marble hallway with multiple doors along the stretch. Yet again, they followed Kuroko and after they passed four doors, they finally stopped at the fifth. It was a white door, with a golden plaque on it. What shocked them was that Kuroko's name was on the plaque.

Opening the door, they stumbled upon a handsome light-blue haired man who was sitting in a chair close to the left wall. He was dressed in black baggy pants and a grey sweatshirt.

"Hi, Dad." Kuroko greeted as he went to give him a hug.

"Tetsuya," the man grinned as he opened his arms to receive his son.

"His father doesn't look his age." Kasamatsu whispered. "Is he really his father and not some older brother?"

"I know right," Kise agreed. "He's so affectionate. Look at how long he's hugging Kurokocchi for."

Takao and Kagami could only nod as they gazed at the tall male. Just then, they saw Kuroko spun back around to face them before introducing them. Each time their name was called, they bowed and greeted him with a 'please to meet you'.

"You can call me Hikaru," he smiled at them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kuroko then spoke, "We want to enter a competition but my friends here are all stiff as ply boards."

Hikaru chuckled at what he said. But, the man got the message as clear as day. "So when is this competition?"

"Exactly two weeks from now." Takao replied.

"Hmm, two weeks, huh?" he tapped his chin in thought. "And you're all stiff as ply boards." He continued, ignoring the embarrassed faces of the boys minus his son. "How long should this video be?"

"Two minutes minimum." Takao replied. He was sure as hell not to make this longer than that.

"Okay," he then clasped his hands together with a smile. "Have you decided on a song yet? I can't help you with choreography if you don't know which song you're going to sing."

"Yes we have!" Kise perked. He then whipped out his phone and played the track. They realized that the song really wasn't hard, and there was not that much of insane high notes. Even the note for the rap part seemed to match Kagami's voice perfectly.

"Kise, you are a life-saver." Takao said with a pat on the boy's shoulder.

"I have songs for every genre. If you need anything, you can always ask me." He smirked.

"Okay, I can imagine what you can do for your choreography. But that song was more than three minutes…where do you plan on cutting it off?" He asked.

"We haven't decided that yet." Kuroko said. "We actually have to both sing and dance in this video."

"Oh…I see." Hikaru then nodded his understanding. "Then, before I can actually help you with your performance, you have to tell me which parts of the song that you'll be doing."

"Yes Sir." They all said in unison.

"But for now, I'll have to loosen you up a bit." Here, he looked a bit evil, as within a moment's notice he snatched Kasamatsu and pulled him close. He examined Kasamatsu's muscles and tested his reflexes by simply kicking him in the knee, and jabbing him in his side. Seeing the jab, Kise and Kagami now realized where Kuroko got his habit from.

"See that door over there?" he then asked as he pointed to his left. The boys nodded. "There are some spare clothing there, you can go get changed."

At this, the boys looked at each other and then back at Hikaru. When he gave them a _look,_ without hitch, they then dashed to what seemed to be a closet. Without even sorting through the clothes, they snatched up whatever they got their hands on and quickly changed. After they were done, Kuroko went in last and changed his clothing as well.

"Now that everyone's ready, let's begin!" Kagami and Kasamatsu inwardly groaned, thinking that he may be too chirpy doing this kind of a thing.

"Wait, what are we going to be doing?" Kise then asked.

"Basic stretches." He smiled. "I can tell that you lot aren't flexible at all and that's the first thing apart from stamina that you'll need in dancing."

"But if we're going to be doing an electronic song, why do we need to be flexible?" Kagami asked. "Won't we be mimicking robots or something?"

Hikaru sighed. He then turned to Kuroko, "Tetsuya, would you like to demonstrate why you'll need to be flexible?"

Kuroko made a smirk. "Hai."

He then walked away from the group, reaching in the middle of the room. Hikaru then took out his phone and found a dubstep track and played it. What happened next, floored the rest of the boys.

Kuroko stood normally but as soon as the music started, he smoothly slid his feet to the left seeming as though he was gliding on ice. Matching the beat, he then came to an abrupt stop, but suddenly started up again moving his entire body as though he was having muscle spasms. From his right foot, there seemed to be a ripple that travelled up to his chest and then to his arms. Following this, Kuroko then leaned forwards slightly after which he moved his arms in what seemed to be a wave-like motion.

_Boom-Boom_

_[PAUSE]_

_Boom-Boom_

When the track changed to this rhythm, Kuroko stopped the waving but used his chest to match that beat. As he was doing so, he twists his upper body in a way that mimicked a robot; his left hand was bent in a ninety degree angle upwards, his right hand was going downwards. He twists his lower body to align with his upper, his feet once again seeming as though he was gliding. But as he was about to make another move, his father stopped him.

"That's enough Tetsu-chan," he said as he clapped his hands together. He then turned to the rest of the boys. "Now do you see why you need to be flexible?"

"That's not being flexible," Kasamatsu said in awe. "That's not having bones."

"So true. Kurokocchi, where are your bones?" Kise asked. "They're still there right?"

Kuroko chuckled. "Of course they are."

"I don't think I can do that. Ever." Kagami said. "That looks extremely difficult!"

"You won't." Hikaru said. "It'll be impossible for you to be that good in two weeks."

They exhaled a relief. Hikaru nearly bust with laughter at seeing their expressions. But, he knew that these two weeks are going to get quite…frustrating. Hearing his son compare them to ply boards meant that they basically _cannot_ dance. And he has to get them to be convincing in two weeks. He smirked at the challenge.

"Let's get down to business."

_xxxx_

"Since it's a Saturday, I expect you guys back here tomorrow and Monday." Hikaru said as he looked at the panting boys on the floor before him. "And make sure you decide on which parts of the song you'll sing as quickly as possible. After that, you'll be practicing your choreography."

"Yes, Sir!"

Hikaru then dismissed them and allowed Kuroko to show them where the showers and baths were. But since they had arrived completely empty-handed, they were provided with the necessities that they'll need.

After they were finished, they quickly got dressed and left the building. They took their own time walking back to the station, their legs trembling from the exhaustion. Their conversations were kept at a minimum due to the fact that they were exhausted.

Takao was actually counting his blessings, since earlier today he was at a loss at who he would have formed a group with to do this. But as luck would have it, he encountered these four boys; in addition, Kuroko's father is a dance instructor. Happy would be an understatement to describe how he feels. But then, he realized something. Isn't Kasamatsu a third year?

Takao then stopped the older teen.

"Thank you," he said. He realized that he may have been a bit too out of character and sudden.

"For what?" Kasamatsu asked. He was really perplexed at this, as why thank him and not the others too?

"It's just that you have university entrance exams to study for and here, you're doing this ―"

"Pfft!" Kise bust with laughter, as he was hearing their conversation. "Seriously, Takaocchi? Entrance exams?"

"What? Isn't he your captain?" the raven haired boy then asked. "Third years are supposed to be preparing for such right?"

This caused Kasamatsu to start chuckling as well. "I'm a second year." He laughed. "I'm pretty sure that I don't look that old."

"Eh?! A second year as captain?! How'd you manage to pull that off?!"

"Let's just say I have to atone for my sins." He looked a bit distant here. Realizing that this may be a touchy topic, they then left the argument as it is, and then made their way home.

When they had reached home, Kise had sent them the track, and they had to decide which parts they'll sing.

It was a given that the rap would be present, and thus, they decide to let each choose which parts they want to sing. Surprisingly, it had gone fairly smoothly.

_xxxx_

And thus, the boys did as they were told. On Sunday, they showed up bright and early at the studio (they had to meet up first), and Hikaru once more 'loosened' them up. Kuroko was exempted from this, but while Hikaru handled this, he thought up of what they would do for their choreography.

But in the midst of that, Kuroko silently laughed at them. He couldn't break out into laughter, as he knows that Kagami would probably attack him, Kise will become a whiny mess…and that's two people he couldn't deal with.

For their exercises, all they were doing were simple stretches, but since they weren't use to it, they kept bawling out.

In one instant, when they were doing the 'ballet barre' stretch, he heard Kagami yelled, "It feels like I'm practicing to become a ballerina! My legs can't go any higher!"

"Is this really necessary?" Kasamatsu had asked.

What they had to do was place their hand (this time it was their left) on the barre. Then they had to lift their right legs onto the barre with their ankle resting on it with their toes pointed.

Kise and Takao took it a little bit better than the other two. Surprisingly.

When Monday came around (and for the rest of the week), it was the same routine; however, they didn't come in the morning as they had school to attend. They had arrived in the evening, and had gone through the drills that Hikaru had given them. He was starting to see the fruits of his labour, and hoped that they would be able to pull this off. But there was another thing that he was glad for, they seemed to be having fun. Minus the arguments between the blond and the redhead, they really were having fun.

But, before they went home, they decided to record their voices singing their song. They had all agreed to take minor voice training lessons (off the internet of course) to improve what they could. For a fact, they wouldn't sound mind-blowing, but they didn't want to sound too terrible.

Their session lasted for some time, since; singing together was proven to be one hell of a task. Kagami's deep voice was extremely rich and almost drowned out Kuroko's soft voice. Kise's voice was too high pitched, and he needed to tone it down most of the time, Takao and Kasamatsu were okay since they already are familiar with the workings of musical notes.

But, after minutes passed, they still couldn't get it together. They were out of tune with each other and it was then that _Kagami_ actually had an idea.

"I don't need to sing, do I?" he said. "I can rap only. In the video, I can always lip sync."

At this, they had brightened at the idea, and it turns out, it actually sounded a little bit better than before. And so, with night falling and sleep creeping up on them, they decided that they'll do it better the next time. However, Takao had used a software to split the song into the parts that they wanted to sing, and then sent it to Kuroko so that his father could hear it.

When Tuesday came around, they continued with their practices, both dance wise and vocal wise, and while they were doing so, Hikaru was listening to the track that Takao had compiled.

It was now the weekend and this is where they start practicing their choreography along with improving their flexibility. Kuroko had reassured them that it's going to be fairly manageable, since they were doing a song with an electronic beat. However, when Hikaru and his team demonstrated it, they nearly fainted.

"Come on guys, this isn't that bad." Kuroko had said.

"Shut up! You can already dance!" Kagami roared. "How isn't _that_ hard?!"

"But that doesn't mean I know the entire choreography. I have to learn it just like the rest of you."

"That's right," Kasamatsu said, "If you think about it Kagami, this really isn't that bad. If we hadn't chosen an EDM song, then that's where we'd be in deep shit. Why not leave the 'difficult' parts to Kuroko then?"

"Agreed." They all said in unison.

And thus, they began to practice.


	2. Digital Bounce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used in this chapter is Korean based (and so will the other songs throughout the story) so there will be some discrepancy between the dancing described and the lyrics since we use the English translation. After all, Korean romanization is not easy to read. 
> 
> Song used: 'Digital Bounce' by Se7en feat. T.O.P  
> For full dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN7bS8xXvpg  
> Kuroko – the one in the baseball cap
> 
> Kasamatsu – the one in the black felt hat
> 
> Takao – the one in the black shirt with the black cap turned backwards
> 
> Kise – the one in the camouflage pants
> 
> Kagami – the one in the white shirt and rainbow armband.
> 
> For Kagami's rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILfEmF2_6SM (The rap actually begins at 2:25 in the video).

 

Takao and company continued their practices, and thus, they had to leave their basketball practices early. Kise used his modelling as an excuse and decided to rope Kasamatsu in it as well. The lie shocked the entire club, but luckily there was no one fussing about it. Takao made up a lie stating that he's volunteering at a hospital and isn't able to stay the entirety of practice.

But Kuroko and Kagami were not so lucky. While Kuroko could lie with a straight face, Kagami was fidgety and couldn't look Riko in the eyes. She caught onto his strange behaviour, and when she cornered him about it, she found out the truth. Of course she was enraged, but after hearing the reasoning and the newfound ability of Kuroko, she decided to let them do it. But they'll have doubled training when it's over.

When the entire team had heard this, Koganei had suggested if they could be the camera crew when they'd be ready to shoot the video. It wasn't a bad idea, since the Light and Shadow pair knew that the others couldn't ask their teams.

And as such, the duo was permitted to leave practice quite early, in order to get more time to practice.

_xxxx_

"Okay, let's take this from the top." Hikaru announced. "Get into position boys."

"Hai!"

In a circle, the boys lied down on the floor on their sides. Their left legs were bent in a ninety degree angle forwards to their chest, while their right leg were bent backwards. Their palms were pressed on the floor, it seemed as though they were preparing to push themselves upwards any minute.

Hikaru then played the track, and in an instant, Kise and Takao rose up, doing wave like movements as they turned faced each other. When they came close, with bent knees, Kise placed both his hands outwards to Takao, while Takao placed his right hand close to Kise's face.

The next two who got up were Kasamatsu who was at the front and Kuroko who was at the back. They had gotten up in the same way as Kise and Takao, but assumed different positions. Kasamatsu faced forward towards Hikaru with his right hand stretched out, his right knee bent inwards while his left was bent in Takao's direction. Kuroko stood behind Kise with his left hand bent at an angle with a fist at his chest, while his right palm was above Kise's head.

It was then Kagami's time to get up, and while he faced forward like Kasamatsu, his upper body was turned slightly to the others. His right hand was bent at an angle, his palm opened in Kise's direction.

They then moved to their left (Hikaru's right) whilst trying to maintain their position. However, it ended in failure as they lost their balance and crashed to the floor. Kagami was the one who felt the blunt of it all, since he was the only one on that side. Kuroko didn't fall along with the rest of them since he managed to keep his balance.

"You're crushing me! Hurry and get up you hulks!" Kagami shouted.

"I'm too gorgeous to be called a hulk!" Kise retorted as he got to his feet and assisted Kagami as well. Kasamatsu then got up and aided Takao to his feet.

"You know, you could always just shift your weights to your other leg when doing that part." Hikaru then said in a matter-of-factly. "It's simpler and you surely won't fall."

"Okay!" they chorused as they once more got into position. But instead of going down onto the floor, they assumed the position of when they all had gotten up. And following what Hikaru said, when the track played, they transferred their weights from one leg to the other. It worked perfectly, but they didn't have time to stop and cheer.

They then went into the next position by bending their knees until they were low enough to the ground and then suddenly, they exploded upwards with one hand stretched up. They then moved again to get into another position, Kasamatsu and Takao switching places, moving from the right side to the left and vice-versa. Kise had changed his spot as well, Kuroko hadn't moved.

In this position, at the front there were on the left side, there was Takao in the front with Kagami behind him at an angle. On the right, in the same position, there was Kasamatsu and Kise. Kuroko was at the back and in the middle.

As the music played, they went into a toprock, moving left and right, their hands coming up to their chest every time they did so. They did that for about two times, until they started to change positions again.

Kuroko moved up from the back while crossing his hands over each other. Takao and Kagami moved back, Kasamatsu and Kise didn't trade places but moved back as well.

The new position had Kuroko at the front, with Takao and Kasamatsu flanking him on his right and left. Behind those two were Kagami and Kise.

The music continued, and they were doing well so far. However, Takao and Kasamatsu were supposed to switch places while Kise and Kagami moved further outwards. But, the two point guards ended up crashing into each other, sending each other stumbling.

"Senpai! Takaocchi!" Kise said as he made his way towards them.

"We're fine." Takao said. "Just a little mistake there, though I'd like to prevent that in the future."

"Naturally," Kasamatsu agreed.

However, Hikaru noticed something. He then clapped his hands together to get their attention. "Boys, assume your last position."

The boys did as they were told, Kuroko was the middle, Kagami and Kise behind him on his right and left flanks, Takao and Kasamatsu in the front but where aligned with Kagami and Kise.

Hikaru walked up and around them to see the reason for their crash. And with his trained eyes, he found the problem quickly.

"You're aligned with each other." He said.

"Huh?"

"You're both in a straight line across from each other. That's why when you did the cross, you crashed." He explained. "Hear what; whenever you're about to cross; Kasamatsu-kun, take a small step backwards, but not too much to crash into Tetsuya." The eldest teen nodded. "And Takao-kun, take a small step forwards. That way, there won't be accidents, right?"

"Yes Sir,"

Hikaru sighed. "Could you stop with the 'Yes Sir'? It makes me feel like I'm in the military. Loosen up a bit."

"O-okay,"

"Like that," he smiled. But then his face went back to being serious. "From the top! I want you to get at least the first thirty seconds perfected before you leave here today!"

They let out an agonized groan.

"Is that a complaint I hear?" he asked with an icy tone.

"No sir!" they chorused quickly. If it's one thing they found out about Kuroko's father, is that he can be a real slave-driver.

_xxxx_

The days continued on, during the week, the boys will leave their practices early, but on the weekends, they were exempted due to their lies. For Seirin, they allowed Kuroko and Kagami to go, and after their practice, they'd go and visit the boys. The first time they had gone, they got the shock of their lives at seeing the complex, but overtime they quickly adjusted to the scenery.

There were even times when Hikaru left Riko in charge (he's heard many things about her from his son) since he is a busy man. The choreography was already recorded, so that she (and Seirin) could tell when and where they made a mistake or if they were off the beat.

It was then that Takao, Kise and Kasamatsu got a feel of what Kuroko and Kagami were subjected to everyday. She worked them hard as though they were preparing for a basketball match.

But being that they were amateurs, mistakes and accidents occurred frequently. At one point, with Kuroko in the middle, they were supposed to make a jump backwards kicking out a leg, to form a circle at Kuroko. That ended up being a disaster. Kise and Kagami were at the front this time, and when they did that part of the routine, they crashed into Kuroko and out of reflex, the small teen grabbed on Kagami's shirt, bringing him down along with him.

Other times, it was mostly due to them switching positions, they end up crashing into each other or they simply forget to move. But apart from these mistakes, Hikaru found that they were still a bit stiff (minus Kuroko), but never pressed them too much. They were still new to dancing, and there was no way they'd get _that_ good over such a short space of time.

Still, the boys found that they were enjoying themselves. The training is hard due to them being strapped for time, but dancing proved to be almost as fun as basketball. Almost. There were many times during their practices that they'd goof off, seeming like a bunch of idiots but when Hikaru catches them, they'd be in deep trouble.

With four days to go, Kise had brought them to his elder sister ―Ruiko, to take their measurements. From the offset he had told his family about this, and they were quite supportive. Ruiko especially, she had wanted to make their outfits for the video.

After that, they then headed back to the studio to continue practicing, Kise seeming to have more energy than the rest, simply because he couldn't wait to see what his sister would make for them.

It was now three days left, they decided to record their voices singing the song. At first, they had thought about singing it while dancing in the video, but seeing how out of breath they'd end up…they totally disregarded the idea.

Two days to go, their costumes were ready and they had their dress rehearsal. Ruiko was present in case someone's pants ripped, or their shirts were too tight or something. But, miraculously, there was nothing wrong with their outfits.

_xxxx_

It was finally the day of the shoot. The boys had met up at Kise's house, due to the blond's family wanting them to have everything they would need. At first the boys were confused, as all they'll need is help with the costumes. But, they found out the true reason.

One room in Kise's house had transformed in what seemed to be a dressing room, their costumes hung on the clothes rack, mirrors here and there, blow driers and the works were present on top of the tables. There were three beautiful females present, and seeing them, the boys could tell that they were Kise's sisters and mother. After all, the blond speaks about his loving family everyday so much that Kagami thought that he had a family complex (if that was even a thing).

"What's all this?" Kagami asked.

"We'll be giving you everything you'll need!" Ruiko grinned, throwing her golden hair over her shoulder.

"You can't shoot a video looking like riff-raffs!" Reiko shrieked. "Your costumes are excellent but your hairstyles need some attention and your faces too! Good grief! You look like a ragtag group of boys!" she then added, "except Ryoucchi."

"It'll all be over before you know it." Ritsuko smiled. She was their mother, a woman with long golden hair and bright brown eyes.

The boys looked at the three women and then back at Kise. Seeing all three siblings plus their mother together in one place was frightening.

"I wonder what his father looks like." Takao murmured to the others.

"I've seen him once." Kasamatsu replied. "Simply put, he's a taller Kise with black hair and green eyes. He even has the long lashes too."

"I see." Takao and Kagami nodded. Kuroko didn't say anything as he's seen Kise's father too many times before when they were in Teikou. He shuddered at the memories.

"Ryoucchi! Let's start!" Reiko chirped as she pat the back of the chair.

"Okay~" he said in a sing-song voice as he basically skipped over to where his second elder sister was. The other boys cringed.

"So, Kuroko-kun, are you ready?" Ritsuko asked. In reality, she was quite eager to put her hand in the boy's blue locks; since Kise had always talked about how soft Kuroko's hair was from they were in Teikou.

"Hai." He responded as he made his way to her. He figured to go with the flow since Kise's family wouldn't do anything horrible to them. Kise is a prime example. Day in day out, the blond had always looked good and whenever asked, he'd reply that his sisters or mother got him ready.

Takao, Kagami and Kasamatsu were taken to put on their costumes while the others were getting their hairs done. Ruiko led them to another room after taking their costumes off the rack.

Within a couple minutes, the trio had finished getting dressed while Kise and Kuroko's hair were done. Upon seeing each other, a ruckus erupted.

"Looking good there Kise!" Takao said as he nudged the blond in his side. He then turned in Kuroko's direction. "I would have never thought that it was you Kuroko! You should wear your hair like that more often!"

Kise's blond hair was done with a side-part, slightly pulled back on the left side, and kept in place with stylish green clips. His forehead fringe was messy and was done in a sweep to the right. Kuroko's hair was straightened with flipped out side bangs. The two boys looked gorgeous, and upon seeing Kuroko especially, Kagami's jaws dropped.

"Takao's right." The redhead agreed. "You should keep your hair like that. Maybe you won't be so invisible with that hairstyle."

"I take that as a compliment." Kuroko said in his usual tone.

"Alright, you can ogle each other later! Ryoucchi, Kuroko-kun, come with me to get dressed!" Ruiko announced. "You three go get your hairs done!"

"Yes Ma'am!" they chorused. She was quite scary.

The three boys then sauntered towards the chairs; however, Kasamatsu had to sit in the spare chair since there were only two stylists. The eldest teen looked at the Takao and Kagami and chuckled. Never would he have ever imagined that he would have done something like this, but still, this was one of the best and most fun two weeks that he's ever had.

He looked at Kagami's face and saw that the boy looked absolutely mortified. Kasamatsu could tell that he was afraid of what Ritsuko would have done to his hair, but she was constantly telling him that everything would be alright. Takao on the other hand, he was enjoying every moment of this. He was chatting with Reiko as though she was his sister and not Kise's.

After a couple minutes, Takao's hair was done, and in Kasamatsu's eyes, he looked like a totally different person. The style was the 'emo style' as many would call it. Takao had a long fringe swept to the left, seeming to cover his left eye. His side bangs falling neatly at his jaws.

Kagami's hair was done in a cool fringe-up hairstyle, much to his displeasure. He liked having his bangs in his face, but Ritsuko assured him that the look gave him a more 'to die for' appearance. His original look made him seem to thug-like and unapproachable, she commented.

It was now Kasamatsu's turn and his stylist was Ritsuko, Reiko had gone to assist Ruiko. He sat in the chair and surprisingly, she had finished styling his hair faster than the others. It was probably due to him having the shortest hair out of the bunch. Inwardly, he sighed a relief that he had always kept it short.

He then looked into the mirror and couldn't help but smile. His hairstyle was the dandy medium fringe-up. The hair is short at the sides and the back, but at the crown, the hair is left thick to create a 'dandy' look. Ritsuko had permed this area to give it extra volume and texture. Using wax, his fringe was lifted upwards to create more volume.

"There you have it! All done!" Ritsuko chirped. "You boys look absolutely stunning!"

"Thank you!" the three bowed at her. Quickly, she waved them off for being so formal. Then, Kuroko and Kise emerged out of the other room, fully dressed.

"I have to take pictures!" Reiko and Ruiko shrieked with their cellphones in hand. They sounded like over-zealous fans.

"Gather together boys!"

_xxxx_

Ruiko pulled up in the driveway and the boys exited out before heading onto the lawn. Everyone was already waiting, Seirin along with Kuroko and Kise's fathers. However, when crowd's eyes landed on the boys, they were beyond shocked.

"Look at my Ryou!" a tall black haired man shrieked. His green eyes were sparkling as he looked at Kise. He was Ryouhei, Kise's father. The blond boy was dressed in a black and green suit ― a black shirt underneath a cuffed green blazer jacket and matching green pants tucked into black shin-high boots with green laces.

Beside him was Kuroko, who wore a green shirt underneath a black blazer jacket with matching black shorts. He had on dark green shin-high boots with black laces.

Next was Kagami, who was hissing at Kise for being so clingy to Kuroko. Like Kise, he wore the same outfit, however, he wore black cut off gloves with emerald diamonds embedded at the knuckles.

Behind them were Kasamatsu and Takao, who were dressed similarly to Kise as well. But one thing all the boys had wore in common were dark uni-lens sun shades.

"Papacchi!" Kise shrieked and made a beeline for the tall black haired man. When he reached close to him, Kise was caught in an embrace, even spinning.

"Papa! Didn't you see Ryoucchi this morning?!" Ruiko shouted. "Release him! You'll ruin his entire outfit and face!"

"Stop being so jealous, Rui-chan." Ryouhei countered. "If you want a hug so badly you could've just asked."

Kise nodded in agreement.

Everyone else looked at the scene with shock. But then again, this was _Kise_ 's family. This shouldn't have been surprising. Kuroko had then made his way over to his father, who wanted to ruffle his hair but restrained himself upon seeing the new hairdo. The other three made their way over to where Seirin where, who, up until this time, couldn't utter a single word.

"Cat got your tongues?" Takao joked.

"Who are you people?" Riko said in awe. She then turned to look at Kagami. "Kagami-kun? That's you right?"

"Are you making fun of me, Coach?!" he was close to snapping, since he was forced to get rid of his normal hairstyle. "You're really making fun of me, aren't you!?"

"No, it's just that you're unrecognizable. Compared to how scary you look daily, this is a refreshing look for you."

Kagami couldn't counter. With the rest of the team nodding in agreement, he felt an embarrassing blush creep up onto his face. Quickly, he turned away to avoid getting teased later.

When all was said and done, the atmosphere got serious, and immediately the boys moved away from the group and further onto the lawn. Hyuuga, Mitobe and Tsuchida had already set up a carpet as the boys couldn't dance on the lawn. Koganei set up the camera, while Riko instructed them to get prepared.

The boys got into their positions, lying on the ground on their sides, with their palms pushing against the floor. Their left legs were bent beneath them in a ninety degree angle while the other was bent behind. Hyuuga then pressed the play button, starting the music.

 _Never let the party stop_ (x3). This part had been sung by Kise.

While this part of the song played, Takao and Kise came up off the ground first, Kise placed both his hands outwards to Takao, while Takao placed his right hand close to Kise's face just like they practiced. Following them were Kasamatsu and Kuroko in which Kasamatsu faced forward towards their supporters with his right hand stretched out, his right knee bent inwards while his left was bent in Takao's direction. Kuroko stood behind Kise with his left hand bent at an angle with a fist at his chest, while his right palm was above Kise's head. Kagami was the last to get up off the ground and into position.

They then shifted their weights onto their other foot, and leaned to their right whilst maintaining that position. Then smoothly, they made a dip to the ground after which they exploded upwards.

 _On top everybody on top, hey!_ (x3). This time it was Takao's voice.

At this point, they assumed new positions, at the front were Takao and Kasamatsu switching places, Kagami was behind Takao and Kise behind Kasamatsu. Kuroko was left in the middle. They then went into a toprock, moving left and right three times before raising their left hands into the air. They did this two more times.

_Never let the party stop._

Here, the boys placed their right hands over their left forming an 'x' as they once again switched positions. Kuroko came forward, while Kasamatsu and Kagami moved backwards to end up on his left and right flanks.

_Digital Bounce_

With their right hands bent in a ninety degree and palms open, they moved their hands up and down as this part of the song played.

_Digital Sound_

Moving fluidly, they dropped their right hands behind them and then placed their left hands to their ears. A finger was touching their tragus as they moved their heads around in a slow circular motion.

_Digital X_

Dropping both their arms at their sides rather stiffly before bringing them up again to form an 'X', matching the beats, they untangled the 'x' to make their hands fall to their sides again.

_Welcome to Digital World_

Here, Kuroko made fluid steps backwards, while Kasamatsu and Kagami slid smoothly across each other to switch positions, Kise and Takao only took large step outwards to end up in line with Kagami and Kasamatsu on Kuroko's flank.

 _This music is another round of the Sevolution_ _  
__A sound that goes into your heart like the blade of a knife_  
I like that. I like that  
I like that that that

This part was sung by Kuroko, his soft and monotonous voice actually fit the part somewhat.

At this, they made a small step forward before using their right hand to trail down their outstretched left hand. Crossing their feet at the ankles, they then brought their right hands upwards with their palms facing outwards after which they pointed over to the left and bringing it down seeming as though they were writing the number '7' in the air.

They then brought up their hands to their chest, one hand made a fist while the other had their index finger pointing upwards, going around in a circle. Moving smoothly, both their hands then formed a fist at their chest. Taking a small step to the right first, and then another to the left, it created a motion of forwards then backwards, forwards then backwards.

After, they then placed their hands on their thighs followed by a ripple like motion by their entire bodies going downwards to the ground. Straightening up, both their hands cut across each other at their chest, one hand then pointed to the ground, the other in the air. Turning their bodies to the side, their right arms seemed to mimic a knife, straight and moving downwards slowly as though slicing something.

In that same breath, Kuroko turned to his right, at Kasamatsu and Kagami and at that moment, they went into a freeze; Kuroko then turned to his left, towards Takao and Kise while pointing his thumbs at them. Like Kasamatsu and Takao, they went into a freeze.

Matching the beat, with one hand raised, Kuroko used his index to point left then right; the others behind him placed their palms starting from their abdomen upwards to their lips in a ladder sequence. Transitioning smoothly out of that into spins, Kasamatsu and Takao had their backs turned to their audience, Kagami and Kise were behind Kuroko at his right and left flanks.

With bent knees, the two boys at the front moved up and down in a rapid motion, Kise and Kagami did the same, but in the opposite of Takao and Kasamatsu; they moved down and up.

 _A supersonic wave that you hear in your ears_ _  
__A 3D paradise that stretches out in front of your eyes_  
Wanna get, wanna get  
Wanna get get get  
Everybody put your hand up  
Get get get your hand up

This time, it was Kasamatsu who sung this part.

The boys had their knees bent, they brought up their right hands to their ears and held that pose for a second or two before turning their faces towards the other direction. At this point, with their right hands already up, they turned their faces forwards before bringing their hands over across their chests.

They transitioned smoothly into different positions at this time, Kasamatsu and Takao trading places with Kagami and Kise, Kuroko was still in the middle. With their hands still across their chests; Kuroko, Takao and Kise moved up and down while Kasamatsu and Kagami moved down and up in order to signify a wave like movement.

From that position, Kasamatsu and Takao returned to the front, Kise and Kagami at the back. The boys then brought their hands to their faces after which they assumed a stiff posture with their hands at their sides.

Taking a small step into a glide backwards, they crossed their arms over each other in a snake like motion going up to their heads which upon reaching, they paused a little bit before bringing their hands down in an arch.

They then jumped, kicking out one of their feet before bending down low. Kagami and Kise who were at the front used that movement to get closer to Kuroko, along with Kasamatsu and Takao, they ended up surrounding Kuroko. Kuroko then did the same movement as the boys did earlier.

Watching the boys perform so far, Hikaru had tears of joy. He remembered the days when they couldn't even get in sync with each other. Well, they still hadn't gotten everything perfected at this moment, but comparing them now to when they had just started, it is a great improvement. Beside him, Kise's doting father was a crying mess, Ruiko was videoing every bit of it with her phone.

The song entered the chorus, which was sung by everyone except Kagami.

 _Digital Bounce_   
_Digital Sound_   
_Digital X_ _  
_ _Welcome to Digital World (x2)_

Here, they bounced on the spot with fists at their sides; they moved their hands up and down as though they were pounding on something. Taking a step back, they then moved their hands to their ears after which they continuously moved back and forth to signify sound waves. Following this action, they brought their hands upwards to form an 'X' as previous.

Making a set step forwards, they repeated the bouncing action, but this time they placed one hand on their ear, the other was on their hip while their feet made a sweeping motion.

 _All the party people Everybody holla back_   
_A digital attack that shakes the whole room_   
_Wanna get, wanna get_   
_Wanna get get get_   
_Everybody put your hand up_ _  
_ _Get get get your hand up_

This part was sung by both Takao and Kise.

Moving their heads left and right in a wave like motion twice before taken quick steps backwards, the boys then assembled around Kuroko. A second later, Kuroko used his elbows in a way seeming as though he wanted to break free. But while he was doing so, the others had their hands outstretched as if to mimic and explosion.

As the others kept their positions, Kuroko made two solid steps forwards after which with fingers representing a gun, he moved one hand right to left seeming as though he was shooting the others. In that moment, the others then got up and all five boys went into a rock, which had them moving rhythmically from one foot to the next. With their palms in front their chests, their arms followed the rhythm of their feet, moving up and down.

At the last, they made a cross at their ankles which brought them facing forwards towards the camera. This is where Kagami came up to front and began rapping…or rather lip syncing.

 _Now everyday you too_   
_And the world you will come to experience_   
_I'm on the cutting edge on top of the city_   
_I'm the lead actor giving enlightenment to the youth_   
_(Into the fire~)_  
Hey Honey  
It's already, already the girls' time   
_Don't worry about anything, just have a good time_   
_Everyday my name_   
_The mice are nibbling at_   
_But to them I am a cat hunting in the alley_   
_This time is going quickly_   
_Our youth don't know what to do to be wise_   
_Let's share our completely wet youth_ _  
_ _Bang Bang Bang_

Here, Kagami had come to front and started rapping while the others were in the background doing robotic dances. They were a bit relieved for this part.

 _D. I. G. I. T. A. L. Welcome to the digital world_ _  
_ _D. I. G. I. T. A. L. Welcome to the digital world_

This was sung by everyone.

While they were doing so, they walked towards each other and at the final moment, they froze in their positions. At the back, there were Kise and Kagami who were standing back to back, followed by Takao and Kasamatsu doing the same but had one of their hands stretched towards the camera seeming as they were inviting someone. And lastly, Tetsuya was in front of them all, with both his arms outstretched like Takao and Kasamatsu. He actually wore a smile on his lips but due to the lens, his eyes couldn't be seen.

The song then ended, and the filming ceased.

_xxxx_

"I can't believe it's over already." Takao said, gazing up at the ceiling. "In these past two weeks, I had fun."

"Yeah, me too." Kasamatsu agreed. "At first I was sceptical, but I'm glad Kise persuaded me to." The captain then turned to look at the blond. "You better keep your word; you'll do anything I tell you, got that?"

"Hai." Kise murmured with tears streaming down his face.

Seeing this, Kasamatsu chuckled. "Don't worry, it's only on-court I'll manipulate you."

The blond sighed a relief.

"Well, I'm just glad that I got a chance to loosen these stiff bones of mine." Kagami joked. "Even though Kuroko forced me into this, I'll agree that it wasn't half bad."

"That's strange that Kagami-kun would actually like something like this." Kuroko joined in.

"If I didn't I wouldn't have gone through with this!"

Currently, the boys were in Kuroko's dance room, lounging around on the floor. After they had finished the video, they gathered around and took many pictures (in Kise's case, he took so many pictures with his father that the man's phone ended up dying) and chatted among themselves for quite some time. Seirin teased Kagami especially, but they had also commented that he (and the others too) looked very much like real idols.

"By the way," Kasamatsu started up again, looking at Takao. "Did you upload the video?"

"Oh right, I need to ask you guys something." He replied with a small chuckle. "We don't have a name."

"Eh?!" they screeched.

"Yeah, each group needs a name."

And thus, they started their brainstorming for a name. The boys were churning out ideas after ideas, but in the same rapid succession that they were thought up, they were dismissed. It lasted for some minutes, but they just couldn't find a suitable name.

"Then, how about K5? I mean all of our names begin with K." Kagami suggested.

"That's too bland. We need something that jumps out at the audience." Kasamatsu said.

"How about 'Rhythm'? We did pretty well to match the rhythm and beats in our song today." Kuroko suggested.

"Rhythm is good but it's too…dull." Kise said. "How about something like 'Catal Rhythm'?"

There was a pause. The other four exchanged glances and then nodded.

"It doesn't sound too bad." Takao said. "Actually, it has a ring to it." He grinned. He then whipped out his laptop out of his bag to upload the video. When he was done, he was grinning like an idiot. "And guys, our video is up! Catal Rhythm will take the competition by storm!"

The others blanched at him.

"You can't be serious right?" Kise asked. "With our dancing and singing, I doubt anyone will watch the entirety."

"Of course they will." Kasamatsu said. "We look good don't we? I'm sure that'll cancel out the dancing and singing."

"You know your stuff, Yu-chan!" Takao perked.

"Who told you to call me that? I'm your Senpai!" Kasamatsu almost kicked the hawk-eyed boy, the others cracking up with laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Contract

 

A young man sat in his office with his laptop opened up in front of him. His red eyes were fixed on his laptop's screen and the longer he watched, the bigger his smile became. He was watching a video of a group of teenagers dancing, dressed in green and black.

"Hmm, their choreography is good but four of them are stiff and awkward, only one is their saving grace." He mumbled to himself. "Their voices need work too." He then leaned backwards in his chair as he continued to watch. After a couple minutes, the song ended but the video did not. With bright smiles and brief introductions, the dancers expressed gratitude to those watching.

In an instant, the man slammed the laptop close and headed out of his office. He walked speedily down the hallway towards another door at the end of the same hallway. Banging on the door, he waited anxiously for a response.

"Enter!"

With a grin the young man complied and swung the door open with too much strength, startling the grown man on the inside.

"Kenji? Is there something…?" the older man asked, upon seeing Kenji's face.

"Yes, President Aihara."

"No one's here, loosen up." Aihara drawled.

"I would like these boys to become idols under my management!" He said as he opened up the laptop on the desk. He restarted the video for President Aihara to watch, and it wasn't even one minute yet and the man began to cringe slightly.

"I know their dancing and singing needs work ―" Kenji started but was interrupted.

"Then why suggest them? This is ―"

"I smell money on them!" Kenji shrieked, knowing that this is the only way to get the man's attention. "They have character and they're really likeable! Don't watch the video with a criticizing eye; just watch it as though you know nothing of the industry! Please Dad!"

Aihara sighed. "Jeez,"

He restarted the video once again, and this time he watched it all the way through. There were times Kenji saw him nod his head but knowing this man, he may be nodding that they aren't approved of. But, when the ending came, Kenji saw him make a face that made him grin.

"You're right, but they'll need a lot of work. Their singing isn't terrible but it's bad. The blond and the redhead are awkward, the two black hairs are stiff but the blue haired one is decent. Can't you just make the blue-haired one into an idol? We have lots of back-up dancers to go by."

Kenji shook his head. "It looks as though they like dancing with each other. I don't want to disrupt that flow."

Aihara sighed and raked a hand through his brown hair. "Fine. Do what you want. But I want to see results."

"Tsch, who do you take me for?" Kenji said as he rolled his eyes. He then took up his laptop and made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Kenji grinned. "I'm going to find them, of course."

_xxxx_

The boys' lives went back to normal after, and that meant intense basketball practices. Kaijou had to prepare for the Inter-High, while Seirin had to prepare for the Championship League. Riko worked Kagami and Kuroko like mules, since; they hadn't had intensive training for the past two weeks. The two boys didn't mind, as they thought it was a pretty fair deal.

But by Shutoku, although Takao had practice, every chance that he got, he'd check how many votes their video got and the comments that came along with it. So far, they weren't terrible. At the moment, their ranking was 26TH out of 73 entries. In his eyes, as long as they aren't in last place or the last ten he's quite content with it. He knew it was somewhat unrealistic in hoping that they could win, but he couldn't help himself.

It was not long after that Seirin played against Touou, and was utterly defeated. Kise, Kasamatsu and Takao went to spectate the match. The trio were in awe at Aomine's skills, and in the midst of that, Takao was actually glad that Shutoku lost to Seirin. Midorima aside, he knew the rest of them would have a hard time with just Aomine, let alone the rest of them.

When the match was over, the trio went to Seirin's locker room in an attempt to console and cheer up the team, Kise stating that he'll beat Aomine for his 'Kurokocchi' which earned him a kick from both Riko and Kasamatsu.

Apart from that, whenever they got the time, they would meet up in Maji's and simply chat about varying topics. But, usually on the way home, Kagami would challenge Kise to a match and get himself horridly beaten. The others would laugh at his demise, but that didn't shake the boy's spirit. If anything, it ignited a fire in him.

"Damn! One more time!" Kagami barked.

"Kagamicchi, unlike you, I have to take the train. I can't go among people smelling horribly. Are you nuts?" Kise said. "There's always another day."

"Tsch, don't be so mean!" Kagami pursued. He then looked across to Kuroko. "I'll give you Kuroko for a week!"

That caught Kise's attention. "Done."

"Excuse me?" Kuroko spoke up. "I think ―"

"He'll agree." But, Kagami received a vicious jab from the small teen.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted, I think I have a say in this. I'm no one's property, so Kise-kun; Kagami-kun can't give you me for a week."

"Kurokocchi…" Kise started his whining. He even started trembling his lips, seeming as though he was about to cry. "Can't we go watch a movie then? As friends?"

"I don't trust you; you seem to have an ulterior motive."

" _I don't!_ I just really respect you Kurokocchi! That's all!" the blond countered. "Well, I may try to persuade you come to Kaijou but still! I'll never do anything to harm you!"

"See? There's the ulterior motive."

"No! If I wanted you to come to Kaijou, I wouldn't ask you like the last time! I would show how Kaijou plays without me, or I point out Kaijou's good points and compare them to Seirin's bad ones or ―"

"I'll keep an eye out for that then."

"Kurokocchi!"

Meanwhile, Takao and Kasamatsu watched this all go down while laughing their asses off. But, a few more seconds later, Takao's phone went off. Surprised, he checked it and found a message…from the same site that he uploaded their video onto. But when he read the contents, he was so shocked that he alerted Kasamatsu.

"Yu-chan! Read this!"

"What? Did we win?" Kasamatsu asked as he took the phone. Reading the entirety of the message, he wasn't as excited as Takao. "Are you sure this isn't a scam? What if they want to kidnap us?" He then looked towards the others on the court. "Oi! Could you guys come here a sec?!"

The trio trotted over, and was shown the message. Kise immediately perked up and agreed, while Kagami (still holding his sides in agony) thought the same as Kasamatsu. Kuroko, however, took out of his phone and asked for a pen from Kasamatsu.

When he received the stationery, he dialled Hikaru's number all the while ignoring the others who were debating over whether or not it was a scam.

" _Hello, Tetsuya."_

"Dad, do you have Aihara Kenji-san's number? He's from Aihara Productions."

" _Oh yes I do. What do you want it for?"_

"My friend got a mail asking if we want to become idols. But Kasamatsu-san and Kagami-kun think it's a scam. I just want to make sure it's not."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. _"Alright. Here it is."_

Kuroko wrote down the number swiftly, and shockingly, the others were still debating. He found it strange, they were able to deliberate such a topic with some really reasonable points (Kagami especially), but he still couldn't persuade Kise to play with him one more time. How ironic.

Kuroko ignored them and proceeded to phone Aihara Kenji. He answered the phone, and Kuroko fired off the questions in rapid-succession, Kenji answering every one of them. When Kuroko was satisfied, he ended the call and exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Ano…" he started but he couldn't get their attention. Their argument was quite heated. He then walked over to Kise (who was closest) and gave him a light jab. The blond shrieked at this, not because it hurt (it didn't) but because he was surprised.

"Kurokocchi!"

"The email is real. And, tomorrow we have a meeting with him at my Dad's studio with our parents."

There was a pause.

"EEHH?!" they screeched.

"I said, the email Takao-kun received is legit. And as such, tomorrow at 05:30 pm in my Dad's office, we, along with our parents and/or guardians have to meet Aihara Kenji-san to discuss the emailed proposal."

"How'd you know all this Tetsu-chan?" Takao asked.

"I called." Kuroko replied with a shrug. "I recognized the name 'Aihara' since Dad had to train some of their rookies in dancing but I never heard him talk about 'Kenji'. So I called my Dad and asked for Kenji-san's number, he gave me and then I called Kenji-san and questioned him."

"And in the midst of questioning, you scheduled a meeting too, huh?" Kasamatsu said.

"He persuaded me." Kuroko said with nonchalance.

"Now I have to go home and persuade my dad." Kasamatsu sighed.

"Yeah, me too." Takao agreed. "My mother won't have a problem, though." He tapped a finger on his chin. "I should try to get her on my side first."

"My mother is worst. She'll interrogate me, asking me about pros and cons and all that stuff. My dad just wants to know _why_ I'm doing this."

"Just say because you like music." Kagami offered. "That' should be enough, right?"

"Then he'll ask why I like music." Kasamatsu countered.

"Then, just tell him the truth." Kuroko said. "If that doesn't work, then we'll have to persuade him."

"Well, that said," Takao started, "let's call it a day and head home. After all, the meeting's tomorrow. I've got to give my parents the heads up."

With that, the boys said their goodbyes and headed into their separate directions, though; Kuroko, Kagami and Takao went in one direction, Kise and Kasamatsu went in the other.

_xxxx_

The next day, just as scheduled, the five boys along with their parents (minus Kagami's) were all present in Hikaru's office. Kasamatsu and Takao looked like they were expecting something awful, Kise was a ball of sunshine, Kagami and Kuroko looked indifferent.

"Good evening everyone," Kenji began. "I'm Aihara Kenji from Aihara Productions. I'm here to discuss with you my proposal of making your sons into an idol group."

There was silence for quite a while. The air was extremely tense, and the poor boys felt stifled. Even though Kise and Kuroko's parents seemed like they were on board, Takao and Kasamatsu's looked as though they were about to walk out any minute.

"I've consented for my son's participation." Ryouhei said. "However, I'd like to know what you are going to do since all five of these boys play basketball for their respective schools. They aren't bench members either." Looking at Ryouhei, the other boys couldn't believe that he was Kise's father. Compared to the last time they saw him, here, he emitted a powerful aura one that gave the boys shivers (Kise looked fine though).

"I'd like to know as well." Kasamatsu's father joined in. He looked like an older version of Kasamatsu, same short hair, same thick eyebrows…if the boys didn't know better, they would have thought he was his older brother. He was dressed quite professionally; however, his dress shirt had a few buttons loose signifying that he was coming home from work. "Yukio is the captain of the team, and surely, he can't afford to miss _any_ match."

"I was briefed by Kuroko-kun and Takao-kun and I've come to a conclusion. It will not affect their basketball matches or practices. Being an idol requires strength and stamina to perform as you all know, so their basketball activities would be substituted for the training they'd receive as trainees."

The four fathers nodded their understanding.

Thus the meeting continued, all the fathers fired-off questions at Kenji, the poor man tried his best to answer them. He realized that these fathers are quite the savages, asking questions such as:

" _Will our sons be subjected to bullying while as a trainee?"_

" _What kind of training will our sons do?"_

:among many others. Kenji nearly had a headache just by talking to the fathers alone. He never knew this feeling since the group he currently manages was someone else's at the initial stage.

When the meeting was over, Kenji and the boys exhaled a breath, relieved that the first part was finally over and it ended in a success. The second part entailed him getting in contact with Kagami's father (who was currently in America) to get his consent. In addition to that, Hikaru would pose of Kagami's guardian since his father was away.

And so, the other three fathers and their children left the office, leaving Hikaru, Kagami and Kenji to conduct their meeting.

_xxxx_

"Man, Kise, does your father have a split personality or something?" Takao asked. "He was a totally different person in the meeting today!"

"Yup, he's like that." Kise chirped. "He's really affectionate and loving. But when it comes onto business, he likes to intimidate people. How do you think he's so successful?" He laughed at this part.

"It's sad how you didn't get that attribute." Kasamatsu sighed. "We could use it sometimes in a match."

"Senpai! I can be intimidating!"

"Only on the court when you play seriously." He shrugged.

Currently, the four boys were sitting in Kuroko's practice room, waiting for Kagami. They didn't want to leave him behind, plus, they've grown so accustomed to each other, that they'd want to chat a little before going home.

"So, do you think Tai-chan's father will agree?" Takao then asked. "I really can't see us doing this without him."

The others stifled their laughter. No matter how many times they've heard it, Takao's nickname for Kagami is too cute. The redhead is always complaining about it, but Takao listens to no one. Even Kasamatsu gave up and allowed himself to be called 'Yu-chan'.

In the midst of their chatter, the door then opened, revealing Kagami and Hikaru. Kagami looked the same as always, Hikaru had a warm smile on his face.

"So what's the verdict?" Kuroko asked.

"Dad agreed." Kagami replied. The boys erupted in joy and hugged in each other, and then jumped Kagami.

"He was quite the handful." Hikaru sighed. "I thought Takao-san and Kasamatsu-san were stubborn but he takes the cake."

"Really?" they asked.

"Of course, if I wasn't there, poor Kagami-kun and Kenji-san would have been destroyed." He chuckled.

"But, he still agreed. Tai-chan, you better thank Hikaru-san!" Takao chirped.

"I already did!" he retorted.

"Good, so how about a game of charades?" Kise then asked.

"No fair! You can copy anything!" Takao argued. "I say 'Old Lady', I've some cards on me."

"Okay!" the others agreed. Kise swore revenge on Takao and argued with the hawk eyed teen that if it isn't sports, he can't copy it.

Seeing them huddled together, Hikaru whisked himself away, leaving them to their own devices. Starting Wednesday, they'll be trainees, preparing for when they'll début.

"This will be quite interesting." Hikaru smiled to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Trainees

 

The five boys knew that being an idol was not easy, but it seems that being a trainee is even worse. In the mornings before school started, the quintet has music training with Akamine-sensei. At first, they had preconceived that 'instructors' would be as ruthless as Hikaru, but Akamine proved them wrong. He was patient, calm (even though Kagami and Kise's petty arguments would piss him off) and quite understanding.

He taught them how to read musical notes in order to be able to sing the right notes at the right time. In addition to that, they do 'ear training' which helps them to identify pitch and the sounds these different musical notes produce.

However, due to Kasamatsu being able to play the guitar, he was exempted from this, since he could already read musical notes and know the different musical terms. But that doesn't mean he wasn't there with them.

After school and basketball practice (they were permitted to leave earlier than others), they'd have vocal training once again with Akamine. As the name states, this consists of exercises to improve their voices. They did breathing exercises, learning how to breathe correctly and how to control their breathing for optimum effects.

Next, they had simple singing exercises ―first they sang one note and held it for as long they could without becoming short of breath. Of course, this utilized the breathing exercise they had prior. But, because they play basketball, they didn't get out of breath that quickly.

Following that, they had to sing phrases such as 'Do, re, me, fa, so, la, te, do' and 'La, Lo, Le, Lo' among others.

But surprisingly, this carried on far more smoothly than thought. When Kenji got their progress by the end of the week, he was sort of shocked. He knew that Kasamatsu would have the highest in this area, but the others (especially Kagami) weren't doing so badly. He's interacted with them before and he already has a vague idea of their personalities.

But it could be that they were just taking this seriously. Whatever the case is, Kenji couldn't help but grin.

However, on weekends, they have dance practice. This is where the issue was. They haven't made a single friend. It wasn't that they were anti-social (they weren't) but it was the fact that the other boys of the dance class were envious of Takao and company.

On the first day when the boys had arrived, they were greeted with warm smiles and friendly behaviours. But, when lunchtime had come and the other boys were discussing about how scary auditions were; Catal Rhythm were at a loss. At first the quintet thought that they were auditioning for something else, but then they enlightened by the others:

"Before you become a trainee, you have to audition to get in the company." One boy had said.

"Oh. We didn't know that." The quintet responded. It was this fact that had the other boys had started to drift away from them, thinking that they may have bribed the company or something.

But, it didn't end there. After a week or so had passed, their dance instructor ―Eguchi, had announced that the quintet would be getting their own dance instructor. That was like adding fuel to the fire, but they was glad to be out of that stifling atmosphere.

Which brings them to their current predicament.

Their new dance instructor was none other than Kuroko Hikaru. The moment they had opened the door, they were greeted by a sinister smirk from the older Kuroko. Seeing that, they knew, _they just knew_ that they were in for hell.

"Boys, let's be friends, shall we?" he smiled. They cringed.

"What's the reason for the sudden change?" Kise asked. "Though I'm glad to be out of that class."

"Oh? They didn't tell you?" Hikaru asked as though it was something the whole world already knew.

"No." came the unison response.

"You're débuting." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. The five boys could only stare on in horror, shock and delight.

"How?! Why?!" Kasamatsu asked. "We can't dance or sing properly yet!"

"I can't even read an entire music sheet yet!" Kagami shouted, alarmed.

Hikaru laughed at how frantic they were. Minus his son, Kise and Takao were the calmest on the outside, but he knew that on the inside they were dying. After all, that was a bomb that dropped on inexperienced trainees.

"Calm down," Hikaru soothed. "First and foremost, it's not like you'll be débuting next week or next month. The President isn't an idiot." He heard them all exhale a relief. "But he wants to get you into shape as soon as possible. Apparently, he's still a bit sceptical about making you an idol group so he wants to have you début and if the people like you, then you're in the clear."

"And if they don't?" Takao asked.

"Oh, that won't happen." Hikaru smirked. "Because I will make you into irresistible idols. Dance-wise that is." The boys shivered when they saw his face.

"I think this will be the end of me." Kagami sighed.

"What are you talking about, Kagami-kun?" Hikaru said as he threw a hand over the redhead's shoulder. "You're young and healthy. As if you'd die that easily."

Kagami nearly broke out in tears.

"Now that you've heard that, let's get down to business." Hikaru smirked. "I'll be teaching you different genres of dancing, starting off with hip-hop."

"Hip-hop? Sounds fun!" Takao chirped, earning strange looks from the others. While the dancing part sounds fun, the learning part sounds like hell. But Kagami looked relieved, as being in America he was more than likely exposed to some elements of the music. Kuroko, as always looked indifferent, and for once, so too did Kasamatsu.

_xxxx_

By the time the following week started, they had their regular basketball lives to attend to. At Shutoku, Takao had actually told his team that he was going to become an idol. But, they all didn't take him seriously; two reasons ―he's got basketball to focus on and secondly, he's _Takao._ He's always joking around whenever not on a court in a heated match.

Since he realized that his teammates didn't believe him (or rather, thought he was making an elaborate joke to cheer them up), he told Nakatani instead. Since he was a trainee, there wouldn't be any proof that he was an idol so he gave the man a heads up.

At Seirin, of course, Kuroko and Kagami had to tell everything to their teammates and Riko. And luckily (or unfortunately), the entire team were wishing them luck with this new venture, but Riko decided that she'll double their training so that their (specifically Kuroko) stamina won't run out in the middle of a performance.

Both Kagami and Kuroko groaned at this. At one point, Kagami had to wonder if Riko and Hikaru weren't secret siblings…their trainings are way too brutal.

Over by Kaijou, Kise and Kasamatsu only told Takeuchi of their new line of work, which of course, left the man gaping. He could understand entirely why Kise would want to become an Idol, but _Kasamatsu_? At one point, he had thought that Kise probably blackmailed the older teen into doing it with him but then again, the blond couldn't have _possibly_ been _that_ evil to do such a thing. _Right?_

However, since he couldn't wrap his mind around it, so he left it as it is. He thought that maybe there's a side (or sides) to Kasamatsu that he doesn't know. Right now, he has Inter-High to focus on.

That said, in the actual tournament, Kaijou blitzed through the rounds and made it to the quarter-finals. There, they had met Touou which meant a showdown between Kise and Aomine. This was a match that no one missed, not even the other three members of Catal Rhythm.

It was by coincidence that this happened. At first, both Seirin and Shutoku went on a training camp, and it just so happened that the two teams were staying at the same place. And of course, with Kagami, Kuroko and Takao in the same place at the same time, a lot can happen.

After practice and dinner, the three would go over what they had learnt in music and vocal training. In the midst of that, Takao would get a stroke of creativity and decide to create beats to music. In one instance, Kuroko would sing a song, and he and Kagami create a beat to match it. For the most part it ended in disaster and them laughing at each other, but the other part, it went rather…normal.

At the end of the camp, the trio went to see the quarter finals between Kaijou and Touou, which sadly end with Touou winning. But that opened their eyes for Winter. Kise and Aomine are nothing less than monsters.

After that, the schools went back to their normal routines, which meant that Catal Rhythm's idol training was intensified.

_xxxx_

"Okay boys!" Hikaru's voice resounded in the room. "You've done well so far. Take a thirty minute break and go get something to eat."

The five boys immediately sank to the floor, panting for air. Kuroko however, was laying face-first on the floor. This was a normal occurrence, and the others simply hauled him up into a sitting position. The very first time it happened though, Takao thought he was dead.

"I want a Maji burger…" Kagami groaned out.

"Hmm…I'd eat some fried chicken…" Kasamatsu joined in. But before anyone could speak, Hikaru said,

"You can't be serious about eating _fast food,_ now are you?"

"What's wrong with it?" Kagami asked. The others sighed.

"In your line of work, it's forbidden." Hikaru said. "Hear what, you stay here, I'll bring you boys food." With that, he left the dance room, leaving the five to mope.

"Man, Tetsu-chan…" Takao started. "Your father is merciless."

"I know right," Kasamatsu sighed.

"Well, Mother had always referred to him as a sadist." The light-blue haired teen replied rather nonchalantly.

The others paused a bit before exploding, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING BEFORE?!"

With a shrug, Kuroko replied, "You didn't ask."

The other four became torn between strangling Kuroko to death (before Hikaru comes back) and strangling him after practice was done. But, to lighten the now heavy (and murderous) mood, Takao then said,

"But, I'm glad I'm not stiff anymore." He added with a chuckle.

Kise laughed. "We're not ply boards anymore!"

"But still, to have _us_ début? That's quite serious." Kagami sighed. "I mean, wouldn't the other rookies think it's unfair?"

"So?" Kise shrugged. "It's life. _Everything's_ unfair. We just happened to get lucky, that's all."

"That's cold, man."

"It's not! It's ―"

"―the truth." A voice said from the door. The boys looked around and saw that it was Kenji. "What Kise-kun said is indeed a fact. That's how this industry works. You really are lucky."

"That reminds me, why did you choose us? There were seventy-three entries, why us?" Kasamatsu asked. "We aren't that special. We couldn't even dance properly."

"Hmm…" Kenji hummed. "To be honest, there was something about you that struck me. It wasn't your singing or dancing, that's for a fact. If that was the case, then the top five teams would have been here instead."

The boys sighed.

"But the other teams, they were just groups that were singing and dancing in fancy clothes with fancy backgrounds. But you boys had charisma, something that made me want to watch your video over and over again…Plus, when I learned that it took you two weeks for you to have been able to dance like that then, by all means, you are _special._ "

"So are we really débuting? If so, when?" Takao asked.

"Yes you are." Kenji replied. "But when exactly you'll début, I can't answer that. One, the President hasn't given me a date, two your song and choreo hasn't been given to me as yet, three ―Akamine says you still have much to learn in music and four; Kuroko-san isn't quite done with you."

"Oh." Came the unison response.

"I feel much better." Kuroko said.

"Right?" Takao agreed.

Just then, the door opened, revealing Hikaru with bags. He nodded to Kenji and walked over to the boys. He gave Kasamatsu the bag and upon emptying the contents, it was curry and some fruit juices.

"Sorry, Kenji, I didn't know you were coming." He smirked and took out his own lunch as well. "Hush."

"Ha! As if I'd want any of your commoner food!" the younger male replied with pride, but it was clear that he was joking. "I'll be off now," he then looked to the boys, "take care of yourself and try your best not to die."

"I'll try my best not to kill them off." Hikaru said, as if he knew what Kenji would have said to him.

"Good."

But throughout this exchange, the boys could only stare as it seems as though the two males were close friends. Putting aside the exchange, the boys had their lunch, chatting as well.

After their lunch, they were back on the beat, Hikaru teaching them more hip-hop steps. This lasted for about an hour or so, after which they had a three minute break. Continuing, Hikaru decided to increase the complexity of the dance moves, and move them up the next level.

And so, after much practice ―hours filled with dancing and breaks, they were finally finished for the day. What Hikaru was glad for was that they didn't complain, all he heard were comparisons to their basketball training which he found extremely funny.

Hikaru then left them to do whatever they wanted, which would mostly entail them just lying on the floor until they felt better.

"I can already imagine it," Takao cooed. "I can see us on stage, with many fans raving and screaming out our names…"

"Yeah, me too." Kise joined in. "I see us walking down the red carpet, and getting grammies."

"Pfft!" Kasamatsu bust with laughter. "Grammy is for English music, not Japanese!" he then softened. "But I do understand what you're trying to say. Of course we'll get to the top."

"There's only one problem with that." Kuroko started.

"Huh?"

"We can't aim for the international stage without conquering Japan first." He said.

"That's right," Takao nodded. "So our first mission will be _Best Hit Song Kayosai!_ "

"And then _Billboard Japan Music Awards!"_ Kise perked.

Kagami seemed lost or rather uninterested. "What are you all talking about? We're going to conquer Japan, right? So there's no need to point out all these different awards. We'll win them all because we'll be so awesome."

The other four grinned (including Kuroko). But what they didn't know was that Hikaru was outside the door, listening to their every word. These days, he had realized that whenever they were left alone, he hears some really interesting things.

With a chuckle, he then said, "You want to conquer Japan, huh. _Omoshiroi._ "

Hikaru smirked as he moved off.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	5. Trainees II: Level Up

 

The weeks ran off quickly, Catal Rhythm splitting their time between basketball and their idol work. And since it was summer, they had all the time in the world. Instead of having dance lessons only on weekends, it was now incorporated into their week days as well, much to Hikaru's pleasure.

In terms of their vocal and music training, they were coming on quite smoothly, and it was then that Akamine saw the distinction in the voices. Kise, had the most extensive range, and when the boys heard his highest, all they could say was:

"Given how loud he screeches and shrieks on a daily basis, we're not surprised."

But when they heard him hit his lowest note, they gaped in shock, saying:

"Ryou-chan's voice could get that _deep_? It almost sounds like Kagami!"

The others cringed slightly upon imagining Kise with a deep voice instead of his usual. "Disgusting." They murmured.

Of course, Kise would not take this lying down, and would retort: "Humph! You're just jealous!"

In addition to their music and dancing, the boys have to do acting as well. At first, they (minus Kise and Takao) were completely confused as to why acting was necessary but they were enlightened by the instructor ―Ichinose-sensei:

"Shooting music videos require acting. Plus, eventually, you'll be asked to take part in a drama or something."

But, even though the boys were ignorant of this fact (well, everyone except Kise and Takao), acting went the smoothest. Kenji was appalled at this, as knowing how blank Kuroko always was; he thought that the boy would have had a problem. It turns out; he has the capabilities to act, really well at that.

It _absolutely floored_ the others present, seeing Kuroko go through anger, pain, sadness and all sorts of emotions was breathtaking. Kise didn't even hitch, he pulled out his phone and videoed despite Kuroko flinging anything he could have gotten his hands on at the blond. Kise could only reply:

"I'd rather die than to have this moment miss me!"

Strangely, Kagami was nodding in agreement.

Ichinose (and the others) was actually roaring with laughter, seeing Kuroko's flustered face as he tried to get Kise to stop videoing. Luckily, Ichinose was prepped beforehand by Kenji of their varying personalities and interacting with them, Ichinose found them amusing and irritating at times. Kise and Kagami were always arguing over petty things (and Kuroko), Takao would do nothing but laugh at them, Kasamatsu would blow a fuse and kick them into unconsciousness and Kuroko…He just ignores all four and goes on his phone.

But one thing Ichinose was glad for, whenever they got their scripts to practice; Kagami and Kasamatsu were good at everything except the romance scenes since they were the shy ones. Takao and Kuroko were great, the former boy getting into his roles quite well while Kuroko tends to forget to put expressions on his face. But Kise, the blond was amazing. He wondered if it was because Kise was a model but whatever the case is, Kise's acting was really amazing. His romance scenes especially.

Dancing with Hikaru went on perfectly yet brutally as well, and so far, they're able to dance the different genres such as hip-hop, Latin, urban etc. Also, Hikaru would have them mimic other idols' choreography, to see how just how well they could do it. Some parts came off quite well, while other parts were just a disaster. But he expected it; they were just beginners after all.

But he was glad at their improvements.

Another time, Hikaru had given them a test. Well, more like entertainment for him. The test took the form of spontaneous dancing, where Hikaru would play the different genres of music and they'd have to dance appropriately to it.

That said, Hikaru had a field day.

Rest assured, they had passed it, but during the test, they made Hikaru experience different emotions. The most memorable ones were when they danced hip-hop and Latin. In hip-hop, at one point, Takao and Kise were doing a generic toprock with an Indian step (hip twists) incorporated after which they went into hand hops.

Then suddenly, they transitioned from their hand-hops into marvellous air flares which they did twice before Hikaru saw them crunch one of their hands and went down on their shoulders and rolling onto their upper backs ending up in a windmill.

What shocked Hikaru were not the flares or the windmills, but the fact that they were doing them side-by-side and not colliding. But, it didn't end there. They went back down onto their shoulders and then into a headspin. However, after a minute or so, they finally collided as they had gotten dizzy.

Needless to say, Hikaru cracked up at this.

In the Latin dance, it had turned into an all-out war and Hikaru had to fetch a partner for Takao since the other four had automatically paired-up. At first, it started out simple; Kuroko was the only one dancing. But then, the music changed to cha-cha-chá and somehow Kise felt a rush and decided to join Kuroko. The two were dancing quite well for about two minutes, losing themselves in the music.

But, Kagami decided to feel jealous and dragged Kasamatsu with him, mumbling about 'Kise stealing his shadow, so he'll steal his' and whatnot. At that point, the music changed once again to _Bachata._ This is where the war began. Starting out with the simple steps, the two pairs moved side-by-side with their partners after which they went into the forward and back dance. Grabbing each other's hands, they moved really fluidly, Hikaru felt pride rising in him. To transform these ply boards into dancing machines was truly a job well done.

Hikaru then changed the song into _Bachata Urbana,_ and looking at the Kagami-Kasamatsu pair was hilarious. They moved to the side with the 'one, two, three' and upon the 'tap', they went into the 'open position' and 'prep' which Kagami spun Kasamatsu in an underarm spin and then scooped him up and then slid backwards.

But what was hilarious about these two were their expressions. Kasamatsu was peeved that he was the follow even though he was the older one. Kagami had an embarrassed look on his face for some reason, and found it hard to look Kasamatsu in the eyes. Hikaru wanted to die with laughter but he figured that it would disrupt them. Add to that, Takao was laughing his ass off at them.

With the Kise-Kuroko pair, the blond made an underarm spin with Kuroko, after which he pulled the blue-haired teen close to him in an attempt to tease Kagami. Kise didn't let go of Kuroko and because of their positions, Kuroko had to hold the blond around his neck. Kise stuck his tongue out at the redhead, as if sending a message to him. But the instant Kise had done that, Kuroko squeezed Kise's neck as though trying to strangle him with this forearms.

It was truly a sight to behold, Kise whining and begging for his life, Kuroko looking blank as always but Hikaru knew his son. The boy was probably thinking of a way to kill the blond without leaving any evidence.

However, seeing how things were ending up, Hikaru changed the music to _tango._ And poor Takao feeling left-out joined the fray while Hikaru went to find free dancer. Hikaru purposely sought out a female, and to say things got steamy after was an understatement.

Due to Takao and the girl not familiar with each other, she was the lead and he was the follow. And when they started, all hell broke loose. Tango was still playing, Takao made an underarm spin but in the moment his partner returned to him, she jumped on him, leaving the other four to wonder what was happening.

Hikaru nearly dropped his camera.

Not knowing what to do, Takao acted almost on instinct ―he held her legs and spun with her while she arched backwards. She then came down in a fluid motion, and turned to face Takao. She stepped forward with her left foot, causing Takao to step back with his right. Then, he stepped forward with his right; she stepped back with her left. They did this with their other feet as well, so back and forth the two went.

Another time, Takao's partner came close to him which prompted him to hold her back. She then bent her knees and arched backwards, her head almost touching the ground. He followed and bent his back, his face ending up in her stomach.

Hikaru started to fan himself. This was too hot. _Dance my babies, dance!_

They then straightened, her face landing in the crook of his neck, one of her arms rested on his chest. Even though Hikaru was suppressing his laughter, the look on Takao's face was priceless; his partner was chuckling as well.

Watching the three pairs, Hikaru wore a blank expression on his face, but inside, he was tearing up with joy. The boys were actually having fun, even though they were competing with each other for an unknown reason. Takao looked flustered though, since he was dancing with a female, and well, her tendencies are just too much for a healthy high school boy. Add to that, Hikaru intentionally played music that would get them riled up, just for his own amusement.

But at the end of it all, they were exhausted. They went way too far with their competition, still Hikaru was glad for it. It was very good entertainment. So seeing that, he let them off until after lunch, when they'd be having a joint session with music and vocals and dancing for the first time.

And so the boys took the elevator down to the first floor to the cafeteria. Thankfully, the place wasn't packed (as yet), so quickly they ordered and managed to snatch a good table. While eating, they chatted about a million and one things, Kise and Takao always veering off the current topic but somehow managed to get back to it, Kuroko kept being his straightforward self which would wound Kise and piss off Kagami, Kasamatsu just watches them with amusement when he isn't throwing in his bits.

"But still, I never knew Ryou-chan and Tetsu-chan could have been such an awesome pair!" Takao laughed, referring to the Latin dance session.

"I know right! It's because Kurokocchi and I have history and chemistry!" Kise said with a proud air about him. "It's only sad that he wasn't a girl!"

"And if I was?" Kuroko asked.

"Then you'd _have_ to become my wife!"

"Excuse me?" Kagami joined in. "If Kuroko was a girl, do you think you'd even meet her ―him? I mean, girls aren't allowed to play basketball with men."

"She'd be our manager! Right Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Who's to tell? I probably wouldn't have an interest in the sport."

Kise shrieked while gripping the fabric at his chest. "You wound me!"

"You idiot." Kasamatsu said calmly. "Think about it, if Kuroko was born a female, obviously there's a possibility that she ―he wouldn't be crazy over basketball. I mean, don't girls usually go for something else? Like volleyball perhaps?"

"Yeah, they think they'd look really good in those mini-shorts." Takao said with a chuckle. "The girls on Shutoku's team confessed that that was what brought them to the sport in the first place. But as time went by, they grew to love the sport."

"What are you talking about?" Kagami said, looking at them incredulously. "Female Kuroko wouldn't be in any sports. She'd probably be in the literature club since he likes novels so much. I mean, Kuroko is _always_ reading something."

The boys looked at Kuroko who was nodding in agreement. Kise let out a groan as if to say 'how could he have not realized that?', Takao and Kasamatsu looked lost as they didn't know Kuroko had _always_ read books. But, then, they were taken out of their thoughts.

"Uh, hello." They then heard a voice greet them. Immediately, they stopped and looked up at the two boys. The one on the left was tall with short black hair like Kasamatsu and bright brown eyes. His companion was a head shorter and had ash-blond hair and green eyes.

"Hi." Kasamatsu said.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" The black-haired one asked. But even though he was asking, he was already taking the seat.

"Well, you're already sitting down." Kagami said. "Why bother ask?"

"Sorry, habit." He then turned to his companion. "He's Hirose and I'm Amari."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kasamatsu, and these two idiots are Kagami and Kise, he's Kuroko and this playful one is Takao."

Amari and Hirose laughed, but then Hirose asked, "Where's Kuroko?"

"I'm right here." He replied in his usual monotone. The two boys let out a shriek, and almost fell out of their chairs. Before they could say anything, the others of Catal Rhythm gave out,

"He's been sitting there the whole time."

"Oh sorry, I never noticed you at all." Amari said.

"It's fine."

"But what brings you here?" Kise asked. "I mean, there are plenty of free seats. Why did you choose this table?"

Amari and Hirose exchanged glances.

"Well, because you're famous." Hirose said nonchalantly. "Everyone in Eguchi-sensei's class is talking about you five who got in without auditioning. It's reached everyone's ears."

"Add to that, you have your own instructors." Amari said.

They choked on their food.

"What did you say?" Takao asked. "We're famous?"

"Pretty much." Amari chuckled. "Trainees like us who've been here for like two years, are really pissed that a bunch of rookies are getting it easy."

"As if we asked for this." Kasamatsu murmured. "Look, everything has just been luck, an unbelievable turn of events."

"Really? I find it awesome! I mean, you guys must be really skilled for you not to take the audition! I wish I had your talent!" Hirose perked.

That's when everyone burst out laughing.

"What are you talking about? Our talent? What talent? We absolutely sucked!" Takao said. "Well, except Tetsu-chan."

"We didn't suck. We could have done _something._ After all, we only had two weeks to get ready." Kise defended. "So when you say we have it easy, it's quite the opposite. We've been slaving out just like the rest of you. Or probably more."

"Heeh?" Hirose said. "The rumours didn't sound like that, though."

"Well, it is for a fact that we didn't do an audition. But that doesn't mean we bribed anyone to get here. We just made a video and posted it." Takao said with a shrug of his shoulder. "The next thing we knew, we were offered to become idols."

Amari and Hirose gaped.

"What kind of luck is that?! That's so unfair!" Amari protested.

Kise shrugged. "It's life."

But, they continued their chat in good spirit, until it was time for the five to return.

_xxxx_

When they had returned to the room, they saw Akamine and Hikaru sitting and seemingly discussing something. The boys felt a chill run down their spines, and seeing Hikaru's face, they had a feeling that he was planning something.

But it turns out, their gut feeling was right.

As of that moment onwards, they were going to be having vocal alongside dancing together. Confused at this, Kagami had asked the reason. With a gentle smile, Akamine had replied:

"Because unlike other companies, we don't use auto-tune; which means, while dancing on stage, you'll be singing as well with just a backtrack." He then added, "The president likes when fans hear their idols' true voices and _not_ some perfect computerized vocals."

The five boys had gaped in horror. Performing on stage is one thing, but to do all that while singing? At that moment, Kise had felt his soul leave his body. Hikaru and Akamine laughed their expressions but then reassured them that they'll be fine. After all, that's what training is about. After they've calmed down, they started.

Since Hikaru would usually have them dance the choreography of the pros for training sometimes, he decided to use that. He made them dance to Perfect 5th's 'Girls Girls Girls' and since they knew majority of the lyrics already, they started without hitch.

However, by the time it was one minute in, Hikaru and Akamine had them stop and start over. That time, Hikaru let them dance the whole thing first, which ran smoothly. Akamine then had them sing the entirety, Kasamatsu and Kagami looked up the lyrics to able to sing the parts they don't know.

That too went smoothly.

Afterwards, Hikaru pointed out the reason they were stopped:

"Separately, your dancing and singing is perfect, but the problem is doing them together. As soon as you open your mouths, it's like you're focusing on singing well instead of dancing."

Akamine had added, "Don't worry; by the time we're done with you, you'll be able to do both _beautifully._ "

Seeing Akamine's face made them think that the other man was spending too much time with Hikaru. It seems like Hikaru's sinister ways are contagious.

And thus, for the remainder of that day, the boys were engaged in practice, trying to sing and dance without sounding too tired in the middle of the song and trying not to subconsciously slack off on their dancing.

But of course, it ended in a disaster.

However, neither Hikaru nor Akamine got angry. They were doing this for the very first time, so it was expected. But what the two instructors did was laugh their asses off at them.

At the end of the day, the boys were exhausted, but both instructors told them to get plenty of rest because they'll be at it again tomorrow. They let out a groan, as after that, they have basketball practice for two days.

_xxxx_

"Man, I'm sore." Takao drawled as he took a sip of his milkshake. "I can't wait to get home and sleep."

"Me too." Kise yawned. Unlike everyone else, he was drinking water. Currently, the five boys were sitting in Maji's, Yamato City branch, Kanagawa.

"But to actually think that their idols don't use auto-tune." Takao changed the subject. "That's some pretty amazing lung and vocal capacity they got there."

"Yeah, I've been to Perfect 5th's concerts before, and honestly, I'm trembling in my boots." Kise said. "To sing all those songs and do all those choreographies without sounding like shit at the end…" he intentionally trailed off.

"Ha!" Kasamatsu joined in. "We said that we'll conquer Japan, right? That means this is child's play compared to what we'll actually have to do once we début. Remember, there'll be competitions from other idol groups all over the country and the world. If we can't handle this, then how are we going to be number one?"

"You said it, Kasamatsu-senpai." Kuroko said.

"That's right, Yu-chan!" Takao perked.

Kise nodded as well, but then he said, "I know this is a moment, but can we at least get out of here? I wouldn't want Hikaru-san to stumble upon us here. We'd be skinned alive for sure."

"Oh!" Kuroko then said as if in realization of something.

"What's it, Kuroko?" Kagami asked.

"Dad told me to wait for him. He's probably throwing a fit right now."

"Well, just call him and say that you're ―"

" ―heading to the train station! If you ever tell him that we were at Maji's, we'll be killed!" Kasamatsu said, almost tearing up.

Kuroko paled. "Oh right." He then grabbed Kagami and Takao's wrist and dragged them off into the direction of the train station. The trio bid their farewell to Kise and Kasamatsu who were waiting on Kise's father to pick them up. When the trio were a little away from Maji's, Kuroko called his hysterical father informing him of their position.

Meanwhile, at the Aihara Complex, Hikaru was really throwing a fit. He had gone to where he told Kuroko to meet him, but the boy wasn't there. He had headed back to the Arts Building and scoured the place for his son, but no luck. And he knew he couldn't ask anyone if they saw him since he was invisible like his mother. The man nearly ripped his hair out, but then he heard his phone ringing.

"Tetsuya! Where the hell are you?! Are you lost?! You weren't kidnapped?!" he asked. They weren't in Tokyo, so these incidents are a possibility.

" _No. I'm with Takao-kun and Kagami-kun. We're heading to the station. Sorry about that."_

"Alright. I'll come pick you boys up." He sighed. At that point, he realized that Kuroko had forgotten that he had told him to meet him in the parking lot. He sighed once again. "I wonder how people say he's more like me. He's obviously just like his mother, always disappearing on me."

With that Hikaru hopped into his car and drove out of the complex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	6. Trainees III: Countdown to Debut

 

Basketball practice was nothing but hell. Takeuchi was working his boys like mules, ever since they played that well in the Touou match; he deemed that they had more potential. Especially Kise. So instead of waiting until they encounter another difficult team, he was going to draw out their potential by force. Winter Cup was going to be theirs.

Over by Shutoku, the boys were in the same boat. With the memory of Seirin fresh in their memories, they were determined to get their revenge. Midorima never missed a shooting practice, and well, Takao made sure to improve his passes for the shooter. Their partnership was getting better and better, and honestly, Takao felt like they'll be able to move mountains.

By Seirin, Kuroko and Kagami were slaving out. Since Riko knew that they're training to be idols, she decided to include more strength oriented exercises. She was determined to make them stamina monsters for their future live performances. It was only sad that she couldn't get her hands on Takao, Kise and Kasamatsu too. But apart from that, their practices went on smoothly, worse with the threat of a naked confession looming over their heads.

_xxxx_

Meanwhile the boys were at practice; Kenji sat around his desk with Akamine, Ichinose and Hikaru sitting in the sofas that faced a coffee table. Kenji's desk was covered with documents, and all four of the men looked pleased ―more like, Akamine looked happy, Ichinose was welling with pride and Hikaru looked sinister.

"Well, I think we can begin." Kenji said.

"Alright," Akamine started. "In terms of vocals, Kise should be the Main vocalist due to his extensive range. His voice is more capable of belting out those high notes and can handle the most challenging parts."

"I don't know much about singing, but from his daily shrieks of calling my son's name; I can tell, he's got a good throat." Hikaru joked, although he meant it.

"For the Lead Vocalist, it'll be Kasamatsu. He's got a distinctive voice and is very good with the _vibrato_ more than Kise."

"Pretend that I know what _vibrato_ is." Ichinose said with Hikaru nodding beside him.

Kenji sighed. " _Vibrato_ is a variation of pitch. It can be rapid, or slight, depending on the song." Still, Ichinose and Hikaru looked lost. Kenji decided to leave them in their ignorance, as their field of work doesn't need them to know this.

"However, as time goes by, I believe that Kuroko will be able to become a Main vocalist as well, just that his highest vocal range would be an octave below Kise." Akamine continued.

"Again, pretend that we know what an _octave_ is." Ichinose sighed.

"An octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency." Akamine answered. Hikaru and Ichinose were clueless.

"It's a series of eight notes between (and including) two notes." Kenji simplified. "For example, from Middle C on the piano to the next C there are eight notes ―C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. That's an octave."

"Now you see why I became a dancer?" Hikaru said with a sigh.

"I totally understand, Kuroko." Ichinose agreed. "Actors don't need to stress themselves with this."

Akamine laughed at the two. He continued, "The two rappers will be Kagami and Takao although Kagami will be the main while Takao backs him up occasionally. But of course, they're all vocalists."

"In terms of dancing," Hikaru said, "Tetsuya is the best but Takao and Kise are on equal terms so you can basically say they've tied for second best."

Ichinose nodded. "I have Kasamatsu-kun as the leader for the bunch. He's responsible and is actually able to get Kise and Kagami under control." Ichinose added his bits. "And he's got a level head."

"Plus, Kasamatsu-kun is the captain of his school's basketball team, so he has experience dealing with an idiotic bunch." Kenji said. The instructors laughed at his truthful comment. "Well, now that we have that out of the way, I'll go check up on their set." Kenji sighed.

"Good luck with that." Ichinose and Akamine came out. Kenji let out a distressed sigh as all four men exited the room. Ichinose and Akamine went in one direction leaving Kenji to wonder about Hikaru.

"Let me accompany you." Hikaru grinned as though he could read his mind. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind."

"Indeed."

The two males then walked towards the elevator and proceeded to the basement floor where all cars were parked. Once there, they hopped into Kenji's car (the younger male won a round of janken) and drove out.

"You know, I've been wondering," Hikaru started. "Why is it that their set isn't being done by your company?"

"Because of Kise-kun." Kenji replied as he turned at a stoplight. "He's already signed to _Image One_ and his contract states that he couldn't have multiple agents."

Hikaru was stunned. "So how did you manage to get him to be a trainee?"

"I made a deal." Kenji answered, seeming like he was going to cry. "Until Kise-kun's contract ends with them, we have to use their agency for set creation anytime Catal Rhythm is going to shoot a video." Kenji made a smile here. "But should _Image One_ need any models for new designs ―be it clothing, footwear, accessories, or if Kise Ruiko needs any models, Catal Rhythm are a priority. I wasn't going to make them get away with murder, as an Aihara, piece of the cake should belong to me."

"You're evil. You even held Kise-kun's older sister as hostage." Hikaru sighed. "It seems like a war went down in that meeting."

"As if you're any better. Plus, she was glad to have her little brother and his friends and her models anytime." Kenji countered. "And yes, it had turned into an awful warzone. I never knew Kise-kun had such a savage manager."

Hikaru gaped at Kenji but said nothing more. _Pot calling kettle black,_ He mused. He remembered the days when Kenji was Perfect 5th's manager…those were some dark days indeed.

Soon, they neared _Image One_ and Hikaru swore that he heard Kenji swearing and mumbling something along the lines of 'they better have my boys' set ready'. Hikaru had to double his lip to not burst out laughing; looking at Kenji's face, one would deem him to be normal, meek and well mannered. Well, he has good mannerisms to an extent, but he sure as hell was not meek. On the inside, Kenji has some sharp fangs waiting to sink into his unsuspecting victims.

Pulling up into the parking lot, the two men exited the car and walked towards the three storey building before them. Upon reaching the receptionist, Kenji flashed his card and with a nod from her, the two men headed towards one of the elevators nestled to the left.

Neither man spoke to each other until they reached their destination. The elevator door opened to reveal a long hallway, but people were darting to and fro, in what seemed to be a rushed manner.

Kenji then hastened his footsteps, and swiftly pushed open a white door. He didn't knock, he didn't call, nothing. What Hikaru saw, left him breathless. The room was huge, and to the furthest of the room, there were three separate spaces which seemed to be a box.

In one of the spaces, there was a bedroom. It resembled a teenager's; the bed was set horizontally to the left, with the headboard resting on the wall. Beside the bed was a small red sofa with orange and yellow cushions neatly placed in it. Beside it, there was a window with was hidden by a white curtain, and across from the bed, was a mini bookshelf which housed many different things, Kenji couldn't see from the distance he was at.

While Kenji was nodding his approval at the set, he and Hikaru were then greeted by a man of average height, who wore simple casual clothing and a baseball cap.

"It's not looking bad at all, Machida-san." Kenji said without looking at the man. His eyes were fixed on the sets. "The others are coming along pretty well, although, I would have loved to see the other sets ready as well."

Machida made a chuckle. "Well, given the fact that your boys haven't begun recording yet, my boss decided we prioritize other groups that are débuting."

Hikaru could literally hear Kenji's rationality snapping. "What was that?" he asked. "Which other groups are those?"

"There were two from _Senna Ent_., one from _Cinq Productions_ and another from _Atom._ " Machida answered with a shrug.

Kenji made a fake smile before bowing and heading through the door. Kenji nearly sprinted to the elevator but thankfully, Hikaru's legs were long enough to be able to keep up with the shorter man.

"Kuroko-san," Kenji started, picking his thumb's nail with his teeth. Hikaru could see that the man was absolutely pissed. But he knew what Kenji was like; after all, he's experienced it many times prior.

"This means war, right?" Hikaru asked. He liked where this was going.

"Exactly." He responded. "For a fact, their songs are ready; well they were given to me today by the A&R team. I want you to choreograph two of those songs."

Hikaru frowned. "Just two?"

"Aren't you a busy man?"

"Not when it comes on to my precious Tetsuya." He grinned. "Plus, I have my wife and assistants and other instructors at my place that has everything under control."

"Hmm." Kenji nodded. "But really, I don't want to kill them off. I mean, other groups get two years or more to train, these boys aren't getting even one year properly."

Hikaru nodded as he understood what Kenji meant. Even though it's war, he couldn't do that to the boys…yet. "Alright, I'll give the songs a listen and choose which ones I'll do."

"Excuse me?" Kenji asked. "I already have the two prepared. And trust me, you won't complain."

_xxxx_

After basketball practice, the boys headed directly to the Aihara Complex. They weren't going to have any vocal training, but they were to meet Kenji in his office. At first they were excited, but then deflated the moment Kasamatsu speculated that it was probably something to do with their début. Well, Kise and Takao were ecstatic, he and Kagami were nervous, and Kuroko was the usual ―unreadable.

Since Aihara Productions was located in Yamato City, Kise and Kasamatsu always arrived quicker than the boys from Tokyo. Thus, they'd wait for the boys at the train station. Kasamatsu always dreaded this as Kise and Takao are far too energetic for teenagers.

Soon, the train bearing the three Tokyo boys arrived and they dismounted.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise squealed as he made a lunge for him. But sadly, Kuroko side-stepped making the blond crashed face-first into a pole.

"Hello Kasamatsu-senpai," Kuroko greeted, totally ignoring Kise.

"Mou~ Kurokocchi!" he whined as he made his way to the group.

"There, there Ryou-chan," Takao tried to soothe. "I'm pretty sure that Tetsu-chan means well. He's just a tsundere like Shin-chan."

Kagami let out a disturbed laugh as he imagined Kuroko behaving like Midorima; carrying around lucky items every day, bandaged fingers, the whole works. The boys continued their chatter until they reached the bus-stop. When the bus arrived, they took their seats around the back.

"You know, yesterday I was wondering," Kagami started. "How did I get roped into this with the rest of you?"

"It's all because of Tetsu-chan amazing persuasion skills." Takao said with a smile. He was sitting behind the redhead and Kuroko with Kise beside him.

"You mean his amazing jabbing skills." Kagami mumbled.

"I don't have any jabbing skills." Kuroko denied swiftly. The other four looked at him incredulously. Kise, who was on his phone, had to pause and send the light-blue haired teen an 'are you joking?' face.

"You can't be serious, Kurokocchi?" He asked. "Your skills are enough to break some ribs."

"I think you're exaggerating."

"Guys, I realized something." Kasamatsu joined in, he was sitting behind all of them as if to keep an eye out for their antics. Plus, he really didn't want to hear this prolonged argument about Kuroko's jabs.

"What's that, Yu-chan?" Takao asked.

"When we début and start getting famous, we're going to have a lot fans, especially girls right?"

"Yeah, that's a given." Kagami said.

"I've seen Kise fighting for his life against his rabid fangirls and it's not pretty. He comes to school looking like he crawled out of the sewers sometimes." The older boy shivered. "Another time, he looks like he's been mowed over by a truck. I don't think I can manage that right now."

The others including Kise paled.

"I really can't manage my fanbase getting tripled right now." The blond sighed. "It's hard dealing with the current ones. I can't even go shopping in peace."

"You're right." Kagami joined in. "If girls show up to our practices, coach will surely take out her anger and give us tripled training. I'm not about that life."

"I just want to enjoy a normal high school life. Even if it's just for one year." Takao joined. "I want to confess to my crush and get rejected; I want to interact with guy friends without hearing 'could you get this idol's autograph for me?' and things like that."

"You want to be rejected? Why?" Kuroko asked.

"I don't mean it literally! It's just that high school confessions don't really work out, right?" he asked.

"You're looking at a bunch of girlfriend-less guys, what answer do you expect?" Kasamatsu said. "But back to the issue at hand, what are we going to do?"

"Can't we wear face masks?" Kagami asked.

"Then might as well we just be a dance group. If people can't see our faces, how will they know if we're the ones singing?" Kise said. "But the mask idea isn't bad."

"Aren't you contradicting yourself there?" Takao asked with Kagami nodding in agreement.

"Onee-chan designs fashion masks for masquerades a lot of times. Couldn't we use those to hide our eyes only? That way, people will still see us but won't be able to tell who we are exactly. Add to that, Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi and my hairs look unnatural. They wouldn't even guess that it's our real hair colours."

The other four looked at Kise like he saved their lives. Well, in a way he just did. The blond was taken aback by this sudden show of emotion and wondered if it was something he said.

"You are a Godsend." Takao said. "Who knew having a model as a friend would be so helpful?"

"Hey!" Kise shouted. "What are you trying to say?!"

"But you're right," Kuroko joined. "Also, given our personalities, there's no way anyone would guess that it's us." He then paused. "Well, maybe Kise-kun and Takao-kun are possibilities."

"Hey!" both boys shouted.

"What? Kise-kun you're a model and Takao-kun, your vibrant personality makes it possible, right?"

The two were silenced after that. But they knew that the small teen was right, and didn't try to refute his argument. Kagami and Kasamatsu just laughed at them, and not before long, they reached their destination. They headed directly towards the administrative building, where all the offices were located.

With a wave to the receptionist, they entered the elevator and headed up to Kenji's office. It was located on the third floor, where the rest of the other managers' offices were. Walking briskly, they got to Kenji's office, and knocked.

"Enter." They heard his voice say from the other side of the door. But this time, he sounded different. He didn't sound like what they were used to, if anything, he sounded as though he was upset and was talking through gritted teeth.

Kasamatsu pushed the door open and with gestures from Kenji, the five boys took their seats in both of the sofas present, in front of a coffee which was covered with packages addressed to them.

"I'll cut to the chase," Kenji started, "You have to prepare for war."

The boys looked at each other before looking back at Kenji.

"War?"

"Yes," the older man nodded. "The first thing you should know is that you'll be débuting on February tenth at the Aihara Music Festival." But knowing that the boys were probably clueless about this event, he then explained, "The Festival takes place in our theatre where all our idols, well the ones present in the country, perform couple songs for the fans that come. It is also here that we début upcoming groups and soloists."

"Oh…" they all gave out. But Kenji could see Kagami and Kasamatsu looking the most nervous out of all five.

"The second thing, I have your songs ready; take the time to listen to the music so that you'll be able to sing the lyrics with emotion. Your choreographies are being worked on."

Kise and Takao let out squeals of delight as they hugged each other. Kagami who was beside them, changed his seat to move over to sit beside Kuroko who was on the other sofa with Kasamatsu.

"The third thing is that you need to give me your basketball schedule, because I want you to record the first two songs next week."

They nodded but then Kise asked, "First two songs? How many are we recording?"

Kenji grinned. "Five. And these five songs will make up your début mini album."

"EH?!" They screeched, Kuroko sat and stared through. "Mini-album!?"

"Don't worry; I explained everything thoroughly in your packages." Kenji said. "The fourth thing is your positions. Kise-kun is the Main vocalist, Kasamatsu-kun is the Lead, Kuroko-kun is the Main dancer, Takao-kun and Kise-kun are his leads, the Main rapper is Kagami-kun, the Lead is Takao-kun. But, you all are vocalists."

"A minute," Kagami said. "What's the difference between Main and Lead?"

"In terms of vocalists, the difference between these two are simple, the Main sings the most challenging parts, such as belting out high notes, keeping the long notes and the runs. The Lead sings the less challenging parts but backs up the main and can act as a substitute should anything happen." Kenji explained. "It's essentially the same thing for rappers. The Main is the better rapper; the lead is the second best. You get it, right?"

"Totally," Kagami smirked.

 _I just love how they seem excited._ Kenji thought. "Another thing is your stage names. It's usually the company who attributes stage names to their idols, but you lot are an exception."

"Really? I've always thought that idols are the ones who come up with it themselves." Kuroko said.

"Yus!" Takao and Kise squealed once again. "Stage names!"

"Are stage names that important?" Kagami asked.

"Who wants to be called by their family name on stage anyway?!" Kise shouted with too much enthusiasm.

"You said it my brother!" Takao agreed.

And so the meeting continued with them discussing about pre-début promotions, so as to make prospective fans get to know them even before they hit the stage. Kenji had planned to have them star in a web drama series, and it was then that Catal Rhythm told Kenji of their plan to withhold their identities for a sane and peaceful high school life. When Kise recounted his daily struggles, Kenji felt sorry for the blond.

At first, he thought that it was a bit absurd, but when he looked at the possibilities that can arise by having an 'idol group in masquerade masks'. People are going to talk about them; people are going to be curious to find out their identities. Yes, Kenji deduced, having an air of mystery around his boys may not be so bad.

In addition to that, Kenji briefed them about other things as well, such as the company's official release about these new groups on their social media (Catal Rhythm aren't the only ones débuting). This would include pictures and profiles of each member along with the announcement of their groups' names.

Kise was excited for this aspect, since he's a model, this would be his domain. They were also briefed about their teaser that they'll have to film as well as their music video. Kenji knew that they (Kise and Takao especially) were motivated to do this, but he underestimated them. They were literally screaming with joy.

"Keep the enthusiasm going my precious little war potentials." Kenji cooed.

_xxxx_

"Wow…that was a lot to take in." Kagami said as they walked towards the elevator. "I'm even more nervous now than before."

"I can't wait for the photoshoot!" Kise squealed.

"I just can't wait to hit the stage!" Takao cheered. "Although it's going to be pretty tough."

"Right?" Kasamatsu said. "It's as Kenji-san said, we have to prepare for war ―get rid of the obstacles in our way, and dethroned the reigning Kings."

"That's right." Kuroko grinned.

"I'm so excited!" Takao then sang.

"Oh yes I am!" Kise joined in with an adlib.

"And I just can't hide it!" Takao continued.

"Damn right I can't hide it~!" Kise said likewise.

"I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!"

"Will you two shut up!?" Kagami roared.

"I see someone's crabby." Kise teased.

"Tsch, I'm just hungry that's all." The redhead murmured. "I feel for a burger."

Takao laughed. "Didn't we go to Maji's a few days ago? How could you want more?!"

"Hoh?" they heard a voice behind them say. Immediately, they froze in their tracks. "You ate the forbidden food?"

When they turned around, they saw Hikaru wearing a sinister smile. He made couple steps towards them and stopped at Kuroko.

"Did you boys really eat at Maji's?" he asked his son. The dark aura seeping out his body left poor Kuroko paralyzed. Even the others were frozen stiff. "Well?"

"Hai." Kuroko said in a small voice. Their fate was sealed.

"Okay." Hikaru then said. "How about we go dance or get some extra practice?" he smiled, but his eyes weren't smiling at all. Hikaru then walked off and beckoned the boys to follow him.

"I'm not excited~" Takao sang in a whimper.

"Oh no I'm not~" Kise joined in.

"But I have to hide it~"

"'cause I don't want to die~"

"I'm about to burst out crying and I don't like it~"

"Heeh?" Hikaru spun around with a smile. "You haven't started crying yet, my babies. Just you wait."

The boys let out soft whimpers of despair, and knew that they were going to die this evening. Hikaru was a merciless sadist after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	7. Trainees IV: Stage Names and Recordings

 

"I'm home!" Kasamatsu said after he took his shoes off and entered the house. He was greeted with a 'Welcome back' from his mother and two younger brothers, his father wasn't home yet. Sluggishly, he made his way up the stairs towards his room and flung himself down on his bed.

"Onii-chan, are you alright?" Mitsuo ―the younger of his brothers asked. He was nine years old. He resembled Kasamatsu, the only difference is that he doesn't have the short spiky hair; instead, Mitsuo's hair was neatly combed. He peered around the door to look in the room.

"Yeah, Mittie. I'm just tired." Kasamatsu replied with a lazy drawl. Yes, 'Mittie' was the nickname he gave his brother.

"Onii-chan~" his other brother sang in order to tease him. He skipped merrily inwards the room with Mitsuo following. "How was your day~?"

Kasamatsu cringed. "Mikkie, you're off key." He then deadpanned. "Today was the usual. Can't you see how tired I am?"

Mikkie ―or rather Mikio resembled Kasamatsu and his father the most, as he had the same hairstyle and unmistakeable thick eyebrows. He was thirteen years old.

"Pfft! Off key? You're such a show off." He guffawed, taking a seat beside him.

"Well, excuse me for putting my training to good use." Kasamatsu shot back with a smirk. Mikio then made a lunge for his older brother, but Kasamatsu quickly dodged and sat in his back pressing his elbow in Mikio's nape.

"I give! I give! Stop Onii-chan!" he wailed.

"Humph! For a thirteen year old, you're pretty weak." Kasamatsu smirked.

"I'm not weak!" he pouted. "So you're really going to become an idol, huh?"

"Yeah,"

Mikio chuckled evilly. "Then I'll be the little brother of a famous idol! I'll be famous at my school!"

"Ah, riding off my fame, huh? Evil, much." Kasamatsu chuckled. The older teen then lied down on his bed. He took out the package he received from Kenji and read through one more time. Mikio and Mitsuo were curious as well, but Kasamatsu kicked them out of his room, stating that they were being distracting. With cute pouts, the two boys left the room, Kasamatsu reassuring them that he'll fill them in some other time.

The first paper he read detailed their vocal and performance positions which he understood from when Kenji explained. But when he saw _his_ position, he sighed. He was to be the leader of the bunch, and what he had to do wasn't much different from what he does as Kaijou's captain. He'd be the one to handle most of the questions asked at interviews as according to the document; Kagami is too hot-headed to think straight, Kuroko is too blunt and misunderstandings may arise, Kise has his dimwit-ish moments and Takao is too playful.

He chuckled at how accurate the document was.

But putting that aside for now, he took out the CD and opened up his laptop. He then placed the CD in the driver and listened to the music for the songs that they'll be recording. He found that he liked the music of the first song and felt that he'd get into this song better than the rest.

He then wondered what the others were doing, but he figured that they were probably doing the same.

"Ah right, I have to come up with a stage name too, huh?"

_xxxx_

Takao opened his door and took off his shoes before he greeted his family. His mother was in the kitchen, while his father and younger sister were in the living room, reading a novel and watching TV respectively.

"I'm home!" he perked. "Have you missed me?!"

"Absolutely not." His sister snorted. She had long black hair and big eyes like her mother but the colour was like her father's and Takao. She was thirteen.

"My, my, Kazue-chan," Takao started as he made his way over. "You're such a tsundere. I know you love me, don't be so shy to admit it!"

"Gah! Never!" Kazue shouted and stood up.

"You know, when we younger, you had said that you would've been my wife." Takao pouted. "What happened over the years?" He continued to tease.

"I grew up! And that's disgusting!"

"Kazunari, don't tease your sister." His father said without looking up from the book he was reading.

"Aww, Dad." He pouted as he took a seat beside him.

"How was it today?"

"It was the usual." Takao answered. "We've even gotten a package."

"Really?" his father closed the book and looked at his son who was beaming with excitement.

"Yeah, we got documents which explain our positions, the lyrics of the songs we'll be recording, and things like that." Takao explained. "You can have a look when you want."

"You seem quite excited for this."

"Of course! I can't wait for our début!"

Takao's father smiled. "I see. I'll be cheering you on."

"Then do you want to help me with choosing a stage name?" he grinned.

_xxxx_

"Papacchi!" Kise shrieked as he thundered into the house. "You have to see this!"

"Welcome back," Ryouhei greeted. He noticed how hyped up his son was. "Okay, okay. What is it?"

"Look!" the blond teen shrieked, taking a seat beside him. By this time, he greeted his mother who was busy in the kitchen. "We got the lyrics to our song and the music to listen to! And also, by next week we'll be recording two of them!"

"My eardrums." Ryouhei sighed. "But that's great. This is the first I've seen you so excited for something that's not basketball or modelling."

"Of course Papacchi! We'll be the best idol group!"

"I hear you." Ryouhei chuckled. "Just let me know when you're débuting. Ritsu and I have to be in the front row!"

"February tenth!"

"Okay, we'll try to get that day off."

"I love you Papacchi!" With that Kise flew up the stairs and into his room. Without hitch, he opened up and placed the CD in the driver and started to play the music. The first couple times he listened to the music without looking at the lyrics, but afterwards, he decided to sing along. The blond boy sang until dinner was ready and to say that he was getting in the groove would be far off from what he's actually feeling.

"We're so going to rock the stage!" he shrieked in happiness. But then he remembered something. He'll need a stage name. Springing up off his bed, he headed back down the stairs and into the living room. "Papacchi! I need help with a stage name!"

_xxxx_

Kuroko and Kagami sat around the coffee table listening to the music. Since Hikaru had agreed to be Kagami's guardian, the redhead had often time spent most of his days at Kuroko's house. At the moment, they were brainstorming possible stage names. Midway Kagami had stopped Kuroko as his naming sense was awful, throwing ideas such as 'Tetsu' and 'Kuro'. It was actually funny, but they were stuck.

Kagami decided to use his name as it sounds 'cool' while Kuroko could only comment that Kagami's naming sense was just as terrible as his was. This got the redhead enraged somewhat, and with an iron grip of his hair, Kagami held a fist at his face.

"What are you trying to say, you little bastard?"

"It's pretty obvious, Kagami-kun." Kuroko deadpanned. "And that hurts."

"It's supposed to! But how can you compare my naming sense to yours?! At least I wasn't the one who called the player from Shinkyo 'Dad'!"

"At least I gave him a nickname. Plus, you worked with it." Kuroko actually smirked at this.

"Well…" Kagami trailed off. "…it was because Coach told you to do it!"

"But you could have suggested another name, right?"

"You…"

"Why are you boys arguing over naming skills?" Hikaru asked, coming into the living room from the kitchen.

"It just happened." The both replied.

Hikaru laughed. "I _have_ to tell Kenji this…"

_xxxx_

A week later after leaving basketball practice, the boys met Kenji before heading over to the recording studios. Since one of Aihara's operations included a record label, they have their own recording studios.

The boys entered the sound booth and greeted the personnel present. To the left and sitting before an audio console, there was a tall older man, with slick back black hair and kind dark eyes. He had a lean build and wore a blue dress shirt which was tucked into dark jeans.

"Hello there, I'm Munakata Satoru," He introduced. "I'm the audio engineer." But his eyes caught Kenji's prompt. "I work with the technical aspects of sound during the recording and I also help you achieve the sound that you want."

"I'm Furutani Kris, I'm the recording engineer. You can call me Kris." The next male introduced. He looked younger than Munakata and had red hair; his green eyes were covered by the leopard-print frames. He was dressed casually ―a v-neck t-shirt and jeans.

Kenji then introduced Catal Rhythm to the men and what they did next left the boys confused.

"Oh!" the two men chorused as if in realization of something. " _They_ are the crazy bunch with the varying personalities! Nice to meet you boys!"

"Nice to meet you." The boys said in unison. However, they were wondering what it is that have been said about them.

"Now, it's time to get recording. Get in the iso booth, please." Munakata introduced.

"Iso booth?"

Kenji sighed. "An Isolation booth or Iso booth is a small sound booth we use to record audio. These booths have been specially treated to get rid of almost all noise. The reason we don't use large rooms is because these rooms will produce a very poor sound. While in contrast, the iso booths get rid of excess room noise so the mic picks up only what is being sung, thus great sound is produced."

"Oh…"

Kenji sighed again. "I need to give you some homework to know these things."

The boys headed into the sound booth and put on their headphones. Kenji watched his boys with awe as for some reason, they weren't nervous. Knowing them, he anticipated that they'd probably be nervous and shaking, but they weren't. If anything, they were calm. But a thought then flashed into his mind. They were more than likely going to be nervous wrecks when they're going onto their début stage.

Yes, Kenji nodded to himself; he needs to prepare a lengthy motivational speech for that time.

"Alright boys, are you ready?" Kris asked in the talk-back mic.

The five boys nodded.

"Yosh! Let's go!"

_xxxx_

The recording had gone smoothly, Kenji made a note to give Akamine some praises when he gets back. There were couple mistakes here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed after a do-over. He was now heading to show his boys their sets for their music video shoot, which, when told, they flew up into a frenzy.

Naturally, Kise and Takao screamed and behaved like children who were just promised a brand new toy, Kagami behaved like he just scored a slam dunk, Kuroko was actually beaming (which stunned everyone present) and Kasamatsu played it off cool.

"So when are we going to record the other three songs?" Takao asked. "I'm so excited for _Hide and Seek_!" He was seated on the left with Kuroko and Kasamatsu beside him, Kise and Kagami were in the back.

" _Baby_ is better!" Kise shrieked in disagreement.

"My, my, aren't you eager?" Kenji chuckled. "Don't worry; I'll have your schedules ready by tomorrow."

"Yas!" Takao and Kise screeched. Kagami rolled his eyes, pissed that he couldn't move away from the blond. Kuroko seemed unaffected even though Kise was right behind him and Takao was next to him. Kenji couldn't help but laugh. In comparison to his previous group, they were more lively, which he found odd. They had a lot of pressure on them, and far less time to improve themselves yet still, they didn't show it.

Soon, they arrived at _Image One_ but the question that flew out of everybody's mouth (except Kise) was:

"Why are we here?"

The boys knew that Aihara creates their own sets for their bands and soloists to use, so it struck them as odd to be coming all the way out here. But, not wanting to be bombarded with the questions, Kenji explained the situation with Kise. Strangely, they blew it off, but Kenji felt that either they didn't care, or they didn't bother to understand how these things work. Either way, it saved him the trouble of explaining further details.

So, the group headed inside the building and once again, Kenji had to flash his card to the receptionist. They then headed towards one of the elevators nestled to the left of the lobby, and once the doors closed, the boys exploded into chatter. As what seemed to be a natural occurrence these days, Kise and Takao shrieked and screamed with excitement, Kuroko was sprouting out blunt responses, Kasamatsu and Kagami throwing in their bits every now and then. Still, Kagami got upset many times when Kise and Takao became overbearing.

Soon they reached their destination, Kenji walked down the long hallway with his boys following. And just like when he came here with Hikaru, there were people darting to and fro, shouts could be heard in all directions, and this time, Kenji felt like the place was in chaos. Well, it seemed to be crunch-time chaos.

Pushing the white door open, Kenji scanned the area for Machida. They were being push and shoved and thrown all over the place due to people running back and forth and all over.

"He knew I was coming so why isn't he here?" Kenji grumbled as he typed a message. Meanwhile, Catal Rhythm were breaking their necks to see the sets up ahead. But, they were mostly concealed by what looked like white sheets, plus, the room was crowded.

"Aihara-san, you're here." A voice said from behind them.

"No, I'm not here." Kenji deadpanned with an uninterested face. "So, are my boys' set ready? They've finished recording."

"Ah yes, it is." Machida said with a chuckle. "Right this way." The man navigated through the crowd and brought them to another room, and what the boys saw, made them grin.

"And here are your finished sets."

_xxxx_

When Kenji brought them back to the Aihara complex, they were bundles of joy. Seeing their set ready may have ignited something within them, but this time, neither of the boys could keep still. They followed Kenji back to his office where the manager let out a sigh of relief. The day had been hectic somewhat and he was glad that he could sit and relax.

"Boys, how far have you progressed in your stage names?" Kenji asked. "Have you thought up a few?"

"Not quite." They chorused.

"Personally, I don't think stage names are that difficult to create."

" _Huh?!"_

"Don't 'Huh' me. Look, in creating a stage name, there are various ways that you can go about it. You can create a name that's related to your genre of music or a specific culture. Or you can choose to use your real name if it sounds unique, memorable or even catchy. The other option is to choose a name that actually means something to you or it sums up your personality. The easiest way I can tell you is to just simplify your given name."

"Then…I'll just use _Yuki_." Kasamatsu said. "I don't think I can come up with a name that's unique or whatever."

"Senpai!" Kise wailed. "On the court, you're extremely creative when passing the ball, so why aren't you putting that creativity to good use?!"

Kasamatsu shot the blond a nasty look. "The court and the stage are too different things, in two different worlds."

"But, I like it." Kenji said with a smile. "Yuki is a catchy name and there's a ring to it. I'm pretty sure you'll have the girls weak." Kasamatsu turned his face away in embarrassment.

"Yosh! My name will be _Taiga_!" Kagami grinned. "It's cool! And plus, who'll forget it?"

"It fits your hot-headed personality quite well. Sometimes, it really seems as though you're relying on instinct instead of intellect." Kuroko said in his usual monotone. "Especially on the court."

"You little…!" Kagami said, letting out a snarl as well.

Kenji stifled his laughter. He has been noticing that Kagami and Kuroko's interactions were as funny as Kasamatsu's and Kise's.

"Now there's the person who will have the female populace weak!" Takao laughed.

"Girls love a bad boy!" Kise said with a purr to mock the redhead. "I'll be _Sunn_. It's spelt with two 'N's."

"Why?" Kenji asked.

"It's easier to search and differentiate from the star which our planet orbit." he answered. "Papacchi has always referred to me as his precious ball of sunshine so I thought it's fitting."

"Why did Kise sound so smart with that sentence?" Kagami asked in shock. He then turned to look at Kasamatsu and Kuroko. "Did you kick him? Or did you jab him?"

"Kagamicchi!" Kise shrieked, rolling up his shirts sleeves. "Are you implying that I'm stupid?!"

"Well, sometimes, you kinda are." The redhead said bluntly.

Knowing that these two are always arguing with each other like cats and dogs, Takao quickly stepped in to avoid a calamity.

"And I, the Fantastic one ―Kazunari, will be using Taka!" Takao said. "Why? You may ask, it's in accordance with my ability, the magnificent Hawk eyes!" He then looked at Kuroko. "What will be your name Tetsu-chan?"

The moment Kuroko opened his mouth, Kise and Kagami covered the boy's mouth with their hands. Coming from their history with Kuroko, they both knew that his naming sense was atrocious. They couldn't let him ruin his stage name like this.

"Kurokocchi, let us handle it, okay?" Kise said with a smile.

"Yeah, Kuroko. Don't do this to yourself."

Kuroko pouted angrily. "I know my names are terrible, but I was thinking of calling myself _Sora_ since my hair and eyes are so blue like the sky."

That silenced the boys. Kagami and Kise backed down and let out a sigh of relief. The name was somewhat cute, but for a fact, it suited him. Still, it left the blond and the redhead shocked. Why, of the times before, the names he's chosen for anything had utterly sucked?

But they were taken out of those thoughts by Kenji's applause. "I like these names. If you want you can change them later on before we put up your profiles but ―"

"We won't!" came the unison shout.

"I'll forget about the whole stage name thing and focus on something else." Kasamatsu said. "After all, when school reopens, we have Winter Cup to win."

"That's right." The others nodded.

"Good. I was hoping that would have been your reply." Kenji grinned. "Now," he looked at his watch before continuing. "The day is still young, and you have to practice your choreography."

"Oh right." The boys then made a beeline for the door, "Bye Kenji-san!"

"Try not to die now." He smiled. "Oh, I wonder if they know that Kuroko-san isn't the choreographer this time." Kenji shrugged. "Meh, it doesn't matter. I have to get cracking."

And thus, Kenji picked up the phone and proceeded to dial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	8. Traineess V: The Photoshoot

 

Having recorded two songs already, Catal Rhythm were focusing on learning the choreography. It wasn't an easy task, worse since their choreographer wasn't Hikaru. Even though the man was brutal and like a slave-driver, they've grown so accustomed to his methods that their practice feels like they're doing something wrong or that they're missing something.

But the reason was quite simple. Hikaru trains them with mostly extremely complex dance routines (which causes them to bawl their eyes out), and in comparison to those, the choreography for these two songs couldn't compare. It wasn't that they were easy though.

However, it is due to Hikaru's sadistic behaviour that shaped them into what they are now. Their current choreographer, Bandou-sensei was pleased by not only their enthusiasm but by their ability to grasp things quickly (especially Kise). She wondered how these boys were like this, while the other trainees that she's worked with had a different attitude.

In between learning choreography for the two songs and basketball, they had also recorded their other three songs which had gone smoother than the earlier ones. Kenji didn't know if it was because the boys loved these songs (the last two songs especially), but they did superb. Sure, they had their little troublesome moments, like Kise and Kagami arguing about who should stand beside Kuroko, or when Kagami missed a note Takao would crack up and set the redhead off.

During this time, they managed to interact more with Amari and Hirose, whom they had met in the cafeteria in their earlier days. They developed a friendship with these two boys and often time when they were on breaks or before their lessons started, they'd have little competitions with each other.

And before they knew it, summer vacation had ended.

School reopened, the boys in high gear for the Winter Cup. Their basketball practices had gotten more hectic, and Kenji had actually lessened their workload. He was being fair, since they were basketball players first before he coerced them into being idols. In a week's time, they were scheduled to for a photoshoot for their profiles that the company would make public in announcing the upcoming groups.

Kenji had already prepped them but he couldn't help but worry. He had a feeling that they'd end up nervous and shy, well except Kise, since this was his forte. But, he prayed that it would be smooth sailing like when they were recording.

_xxxx_

It was finally the day of the shoot and Kenji noticed that the boys all had mixed reactions. Takao and Kise were like children who received a new toy, Kagami and Kasamatsu looked nervous but Kuroko seemed indifferent.

Kenji drove to _Image One;_ his boys were busy singing on the way there. Upon arrival, they noticed that unlike the other time when they were going to look on their set, they headed to a different department.

The group headed towards the revolving doors, and in comparison to the other building which housed their sets, this one was quite quiet. The five boys had previously thought that this wing of the building would have been just as noisy as the other.

After Kenji flashed his card to the receptionist, they headed into the elevator.

"Alright boys, don't be nervous." Kenji said. "You'll do just fine."

"Of course," Takao said with a smirk.

"Naturally," Kise added, attempting to do a hair flip.

Then the elevator door opened up, revealing a large room. The first thing that caught the boys' eyes was the set. A large black U-shaped villa sofa set sat in a living room with windows which showcased the beautiful outdoors. In front of the set, lights were positioned at almost every angle and people could be seen scurrying about and testing the equipment.

Their (minus Kise) stomachs flipped.

Seeing this amount of people present, it finally dawned on them. They were actually going to do a photoshoot for the very first time. They'll be standing in front of this many people all the while trying to look appealing. Kise was a ball of sunshine since he does this almost every day.

"Ah! Kenji-san!" a man called out. Subconsciously, Catal Rhythm looked in the direction of the shout as though it was them who the man had called.

"Good day Ebumi-san. Is everything ready?" Kenji asked.

Ebumi huffed with pride. "Naturally,"

The navy-blue haired man then walked off while beckoning them to follow. They headed towards a door that was in the top right hand corner of the room. Entering, they saw a hallway with about six doors present, three on either side. After passing the first two, Ebumi opened up the next, and lead them inside.

It was their dressing room.

Inside, there were five different tables and mirrors for each boy and to the extreme left, there were three long racks ―two with clothing, and the other had a myriad of sunglasses. Quickly, they were whisked away by the stylists present, to get their hairs and faces done while Kenji returned outside and waited.

When the five boys emerged from the dressing room, Kenji immediately whipped out his phone and took pictures. His boys had looked like heartthrobs, albeit they were in casual clothing.

All five boys were dressed in similar clothing ―white short sleeved t-shirts which were tucked into black three quarter pants with different colours at the pockets (back and front) and the cuffs. For Kasamatsu it was purple, Kise was yellow, Takao was green, Kuroko was white but only Kagami had red tiger stripes (much to the boy's displeasure).

They also wore caps which they had turned backwards and high top converses that all matched their colours. To conceal their eyes, the five boys wore sunglasses.

Kenji had to admit, they really did look stunning. With a nod to himself, he began to imagine the stir they'd cause when they début. Not because they're good dancers or vocalists, but the air of mystery that surrounded them.

"Okay, boys, time for the shoot!" Ebumi shouted as he took a seat. "Boys, try to strike up a dazzling pose." Ebumi said with a chuckle. He was already briefed that this was their first time so he knew he couldn't be too hard on them.

"Hai!" Catal Rhythm chorused.

Ebumi, Kenji and the photographers then saw them huddle up together, seeming to discuss something. Kise's mouth was the one they saw moving the most and the fastest, so they figured that he was at the helm of whatever plan they were cooking up.

The boys then broke apart and assumed different positions.

With Kuroko in the middle, Kasamatsu and Takao flanked him on his left and right; Kise took a seat on the back of the sofa while Kagami remained standing. Their faces were all serious, showing a sign of fighting spirit or determination instead of playfulness and freedom.

Loving this pose, the photographer took the picture.

Ebumi instructed them to make another pose, and the boys complied. Kise and Kagami came around from the back and sat at the end of the sofa, crossing their legs and leaning backwards. Beside Kagami sat Takao and beside Kise was Kasamatsu. These two point guards leaned forwards, resting their elbows on their thighs and placing their chins on their dorsal. Kuroko, however, stayed put where he was; one hand on his thigh and the other placed on the back of the sofa.

Their next pose was quite fun and was more of a candid shot than anything else.

Something had gone wrong the photographer's camera and they had to take a short break. While on the break, Kise wanted to take a selfie. The five boys huddled up and took a normal picture first before taking a crazy shot.

In that photo, they pretended to be gangsters, twisting their faces to seem as such, Takao and Kise stuck out their tongues. Shockingly, they had pulled it off beautifully and unbeknownst to them, the photographer's camera had been fixed and he took their picture.

"Come on guys! Another ―" Kise broke off as something crashed into his face. "Oof!"

Takao erupted with laughter as he held the cushion. Seeking revenge, Kise quickly grabbed a cushion as well, and swung it with all his might. However, Takao ducked and it collided with Kagami who was sitting peacefully beside Kuroko.

"That wasn't for you, Kagamicchi." Kise said quickly, hoping to avoid the redhead's wrath.

With a devious smirk, Kagami drew a cushion and swung it at the blond. Thus began a war between the three boys, Kasamatsu and Kuroko only sat and watched with amusement. However, they eventually got caught up in the crossfire. Kagami and Kise aimed their cushions at the two boys which incited them to join.

Seeing what was happening, the photographer took pictures without them knowing.

In one of the pictures he managed to catch, showed Kuroko using his Ignite Pass to have the cushion land squarely in Kagami's face, the redhead staggered due to the impact. Kise was laughing his ass off but Kasamatsu had a cushion about to swing in his face. Takao was sitting on the sofa and enjoying the view.

They continued to take pictures, this time; the photographer told them that they were resuming. He didn't tell them that he had been taking their photos prior. And as such, they managed to take lovely photos, stunning Kenji and Ebumi and everyone present.

Ebumi turned to Kenji, "You didn't lie to me, did you?"

"Of course not!" Kenji laughed. "I specifically told you that apart from Kise, the others are complete novices in modelling!"

"But they're pulling it off smoothly. It's shocking."

Kenji shook his head. "It isn't. It's because they're together and they can laugh with each other while having fun. Plus, Kise is there to get them on the right track."

"I see."

"Exactly, if they mess up, they usually laugh at each other to shame which is actually quite funny."

It was Ebumi's turn to laugh. "I can see that."

The boys then returned to the dressing room, to get changed for their individual photos. When they emerged from the room, once again, Kenji had his camera poised at them and was grinning. They looked really dashing, Kenji wearing a proud look on his face.

Kasamatsu wore a purple cap which was turned backwards and a matching purple chambray shirt which had a couple buttons undone. The sleeves were cuffed to his elbows to reveal a silver wristwatch. His jeans pants were white and ripped at the knees while his purple and white high top Adidas had matched his shirt. He rocked dark shades with his hair was done in the fringe up style, giving him a hot look.

Behind Kasamatsu was Kuroko, who wore an open grey long cardigan over a white crew-cut t-shirt with the front slightly tucked into his charcoal jeans revealing a rectangular shaped belt-buckle laden with studs. He wore a pair of white high top Converse; his glasses had a blue-ish tint to it which matched his hair.

Kuroko's hair was done in the medium spikes hairstyle due to his hair's thickness. Due to the product the stylist had used, his hair had amazing textures making him look quite 'cool'.

Beside Kuroko was Kagami, who seemed to be fidgeting from nervousness. He wore an open white bomber jacket over a red tee and black jeans. Like Kasamatsu, he wore a cap, but his had red tiger-striped patterns to match his shirt and red Vans sneakers.

His hair was done in the short pompadour style; the hair on the top of his head was curled to one side. Since Kagami didn't want his hair to be cut, the stylist used gel and other products on the sides for a faded design. That way, the hair still looked prominent.

Lastly but not least were Takao and Kise who were behind Kuroko and Kagami. Takao wore a white t-shirt beneath a green sleeved less hoodie and khaki coloured cargo capris shorts. His footwear was a green slip-on Vans.

His hair was styled in the medium messy, with his forehead fringe sweeping over to the right. Due to his hair's length, it covered his right eyebrow and a part of his left. The hair on his left had to be combed back so that in front of the camera it seemed to be short.

Kise had on shades with a golden tint to the lens, along with a pale yellow shirt with short sleeves that matched his yellow and black Supra Skytop sneakers. His blue denim jeans were ripped like Kasamatsu's and cuffed at the ankle. Out of all the boys, he looked the most relaxed. Kise's hair was the only one left in its original state.

Before the boys got onto the set, they assembled before Kenji and Ebumi.

"Marvellous. Absolutely marvellous." Ebumi commented with an applause. Kenji nodded beside him.

"Thank you," the boys chorused.

"I just wanted to say that while you're taking your individual shots, it's okay to make mistakes since this is your first time. And it's perfectly fine to laugh at each other." Ebumi said. He saw Catal Rhythm look at each other and shivered. "So, just go out there and have fun! Remember, these photos are for the world to see, you can't mess this up!"

"We're supposed to laugh at each other? Isn't that a bit too much?" Kagami said, looking at Takao and Kise, The redhead knew that those two are the most terrible ones when it comes onto teasing.

"Yes! It actually helps." Kenji said. "When you're up there and you see the others laughing, it'll ease your nervousness because you'll want to shut them up."

The boys nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Kenji had no more to say, Ebumi continued the photoshoot. To decide who goes first, the boys used janken. Kuroko had ended up losing, much to the others' relief.

The small teen then walked onto the set which now changed to a simple slate wall with a four-legged riveted joint angled stool in the middle.

"You can do it Kurokocchi!" Kise cheered.

"That's right, Kuroko!" Kagami joined in. "Don't make us laugh at you!"

Kuroko twitched at that. Spending as much time as he did with the others, he knew that they can be quite nasty (himself included) when they want to tease. So just like Kenji had said, he planned to shut them up before they could even start.

Taking a seat on the stool present, Kuroko slumped himself while tilting his chin slightly upwards while making a small smile. Seeing this pose, Kise let out a screech, sounding like one of his fangirls.

Kuroko shook his head with amusement when he saw the blond's reaction but more so the others. Kasamatsu smacked him on the head seeming to be telling him to be quiet.

After that pose, Kuroko took about three more, before looking at the pictures to see which one he liked the most. And it so turns out, he preferred his initial pose.

The next person for the shoot was Kasamatsu.

He walked to the set the moment Kuroko was coming off and the two exchanged a high five, as though they were on a court and Kuroko was being subbed off. It caught everyone's attention and the personnel present wondered about it. Kenji, however, knew that it was just an ingrained habit from basketball.

Kasamatsu sat, but he looked extremely nervous. He kept taking deep breaths, and the others were preparing themselves for the laugh or to cheer.

"Alright, are you ready Kasamatsu-kun?" Ebumi asked.

"Hai, Ebumi-san."

The captain tilted his head to the left while folding his arms. He had one sly half-smile which worked well with his outfit. The photographer nodded and took the picture.

"Kyaa!" Takao screamed while holding his hands at his cheeks.

"Oh stop it Senpai~!" Kise added with a wiggle.

Being overcome with embarrassment, Kasamatsu turned away his face to hide his blush, Kuroko and Kagami cracked up at the two idiots beside him. Kenji, he was videoing everything.

Getting back to business, Kasamatsu resumed. He placed his right foot on the highest joint of the stool while his left was on the joint below. With his left hand placed on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, he held his chin with his thumb and index.

"You're too much Senpai~!" Kise cooed jokingly.

"My heart can't handle it!" Takao said as he clutched the fabric at his chest. Then, he placed a hand on his forehead and pretended to faint in Kise's arms.

Kasamatsu twitched.

But he knew that they were just being their usual selves. He expected this from those two anyway. And like Kuroko, he took about three more before choosing the one he liked the most. However, he couldn't decide between the first two and decided to let Kenji choose.

When Kasamatsu came off the set, Kise bounced up and these two as well exchanged high fives.

Kise stood beside the stool, awaiting Ebumi's prompt to begin. When he received it, he placed his right foot on the highest joint and learned forwards on his right hand in which his index was pointing directly to the camera. He smirked, seeming as though he was sending a message.

"Oh stop it, you~!" Takao said, with a chuckle.

"Good job, Kise." Kasamatsu said with a nod. Although telling a model this was somewhat redundant.

Kise then went into his next pose where he sat on the stool but placed his left foot on the seat as well. Resting his elbow on his knee, he then placed his forehead in his wrist and looked directly at the camera.

"Hey, I want some girls too you know." Takao said with a pout. "You can't be all sexy and hog them all." The other three nodded fervently. Kise ended up roaring with laughter, and the photographer managed to catch the picture with him laughing.

After some minutes, it was Takao's turn. Skipping onto the set after he received his high five from Kise, Takao looked more playful than the rest. With his body turned to the left, Takao stretched out both his feet and turned to the camera while laughing. He looked like he was having fun, the others nodded as this pose suited his personality.

For his next pose, he kept his body in that position; but swung his feet in slow motion so that the photographer can get the right picture. He grinned at the camera and even added a wave with it.

And as such, his poses were more playful, and it was evident to everyone that he was having fun. Then came Kagami's turn. With advice from Kise, the redhead trudged onto the set. Strangely, he was the most nervous than the others, and with a deep breath he sat on the stool.

He sat close to the edge, with one foot on the joint and the other stretched forwards, his sole touching the floor. He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked directly at the camera, no smile on his face.

"Why so serious, Tai-chan~?" Takao asked with a tease. Kuroko was beside him with two thumbs up.

"Shut up!" Kagami countered. He quickly got into another position, one foot on the stool joint, while his other foot was slightly touching the floor. He rested his chin on his hand, looking a bit pensive.

Ebumi nudged Kenji while Kagami was taking his pictures. "I'm thoroughly convinced." He started.

"About what?"

"You lied to me." The redheaded man said. But Kenji knew it was a joke. "How can it be their first time modelling? Does the camera love them that much?"

Kenji smiled. "They're special. That's all there is to it."

Kagami was finally done and the tiger let out a breath of relief. If it weren't for the advice from Kise, he believed that it would have ended in a total disaster. Kenji saw how relieved their faces were, and he was glad that the shoot went well. But there was something in the pits of his stomach that told him to be prepared for when they were shooting their music video. The recordings went well, now the photoshoots have gone well.

"Ah yes, the filming of the music video is going to be a disaster." Kenji nodded to himself. As special as they were, there's no way things can go smooth for them all the time.

Kenji sighed. Better go prep them after this.

_xxxx_

"That was so much fun!" Takao chirped. "To think that's what you do almost every day! It's unfair!"

"Humph!" Kise made a proud gesture, he even seemed to be sparkling.

"I'm just surprised that Kagami-kun did so well." Kuroko piped in. "From inside the dressing room he was a nervous wreck, so I thought he would've fainted the moment he reached on the set."

"You little bastard!" Kagami roared while grabbing the boy's hair.

"Kagami-kun, you're messing up my hairstyle." He deadpanned. Like the others, Kuroko had kept his hairstyle from the shoot.

"Shh! Keep your voices down!" Kenji shouted, contrasting what he was saying. Currently, they were heading towards Kenji's office since they had returned to the complex from _Image One._

They walked down the hallway, reaching Kenji's office. Upon entering, the boys sat and let out sighs. Looking at them Kenji smiled, and sat around his desk.

"Congratulations," he started. "To come this far in such a short space of time, you boys really are something."

"Thanks," Takao said. "Maybe we have some innate talent that we didn't know existed."

"That's probably the case." Kagami agreed.

Kenji shrugged. "From the moment I saw your cover of _Digital Bounce,_ and upon hearing that it took two weeks for you guys to dance like that, I had a feeling that there was something special." He continued, "I mean, from 'ply boards' to amateurs in two weeks? At first, I thought Hikaru-san was just too damn good at his job, but seeing you in action made me realize."

"That we're just that awesome." Kise smirked.

"Right you are, but since you're so awesome, you can head to practice room twelve to meet Hikaru-san." Kenji grinned. "He's been dying to teach you your choreography."

"Really?" their eyes beamed.

"Yes, for two songs — _Baby_ and _Hide and Seek._ "

"Whoo! _Baby, it's now, oh my baby~!_ " Kise sang.

" _Oh yeah, yeah, yeah!_ " the others joined in.

Seeing them in such high spirits, Kenji shooed them out to get slaughtered by Hikaru. He's seen the choreography and well…it's pretty difficult. Leaning back into his chair he gave them one last piece of encouragement, so to speak.

"Have fun, my precious war potentials!"

"Will do!" they chirped.

Kenji laughed, he knows that the time the day ends, they'll be ragged and look like zombies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	9. Music Video Shoot

 

Basketball practice was hectic.

At Shutoku, Takao felt as though his muscles were being ripped apart. Over the weekend, Hikaru was the usual with their choreography, which, in anyone's eyes could be defined as merciless. It was an extremely difficult routine, all five boys were constantly tripping over themselves or each other, and in Kise's case, he managed to entangle his arms at one point.

As the raven-haired dribbled the ball towards the net, he saw that Otsubo and Kimura were closing in for the block. Swiftly, he made a bounce pass backwards through his legs to Miyaji who was ready and waiting. With this, Otsubo and Kimura had to disperse to tackle either boy.

As Miyaji was about to make a shot, Midorima jumped for the block, knocking the ball out of his hands with such a force that it ended up bouncing to the outside.

"I'll go for it!" Takao said and jogged off. By the time he exited through the door, he saw the ball being caught by someone.

"You know, you should keep your doors closed." She said.

But looking at the girl, Takao felt as though he's seen her somewhere. Dismissing that, he then said, "Well, we need the fresh air to circulate inside the gym."

"Oh, really?" she said as she turned to face him. Seeing each other, their eyes widened with realization.

"You were my dance partner!" They both shrieked, pointing at each other in the process.

"I didn't know you attended to Shutoku." Takao said after getting out of his stupor. "Come to think of it, I don't even know your name! I'm Takao Kazunari."

"Right?" the girl laughed, her brown eyes were full of warmth. She was of average height but was still shorter than Takao by some inches. Her shoulder-length black hair had navy blue ends, leaving the hawk-eyed boy to wonder if it was her natural colour. But when he thought about Midorima and his naturally green hair, he quickly dismissed the thought. "My name is Hattori Aika."

Takao smiled. "Nice to meet you, Hattori-chan!"

"Takao! What are you doing?!" A voice roared from behind. "Kimura! Give me a pineapple! He's out here flirting!"

Takao shivered. "Well that's my cue! See you around Hattori-chan!" He dashed off dribbling, but upon reaching the gym doors, he was smacked on the head and scolded. Aika chuckled at the scene before heading off to the gate.

_xxxx_

"Alright boys! Take five!" Riko's voice resounded throughout the gym. The boys of Seirin made their way to their bags to hydrate themselves. Her training has gotten even more intense, worse now that Winter Cup was coming up. After they had gathered at the stage, Koganei started,

"I can't believe that Kagami of all people is going to become an idol!" he laughed lightly. He wasn't making fun of the redhead, but the idea was somewhat incredulous given Kagami's character.

"What? Is there something wrong with it?" Kagami asked. "And plus, Kuroko was the one who roped me in without me noticing! He's a swindler!"

The gym erupted with laughter.

"Kuroko-kun, a swindler? How funny!" Riko laughed.

"I'm hurt, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said, making a pout. "I'm not going to be your shadow anymore. I'll transfer to Kaijou instead." He said with folded arms. "I know Kise-kun will take good care of me."

"I'm sorry!" Kagami shouted while entering a dogeza. And yet again, the entire team burst with laughter because somehow, Kagami thought that Kuroko was serious.

"Anyway, when's the début?" Hyuuga asked. "We'll all be trying to attend."

"And get good seats!" Furihata perked.

Kagami and Kuroko were nearly moved to tears. Seirin has been with them since the competition days, and had never failed to keep them motivated. Riko had even changed their regimen to include more stamina based exercises, so that Kuroko and Kagami won't collapse from exhaustion in the middle of a performance. Even though idols train to prevent that, it just showed how much she cared.

"It's February tenth at the Aihara Music Festival." Kuroko answered.

"You're débuting at the next Ai-Fest?!" Izuki and Tsuchida screeched.

"You guys know about the Festival?" Kagami asked.

"Pfft!" Izuki responded, waving his hands in front of him. "Who doesn't?"

Kuroko and Kagami felt like fish out of water.

"My girlfriend is madly in love with Perfect 5th, so we went to the Festival last year." Tsuchida said.

"Me too. My older sister has been hauling me and my little sister with her ever since we could walk!" the point guard chuckled. "Incidentally, it's because of her I got to love Perfect 5th and Triple Threat."

"Wow," Kagami breathed. "You guys never cease to amaze me."

"Of course you brat!" Hyuuga roared, almost seeming to enter clutch mode. "We're your Senpai! We're supposed to amaze you!"

"That said, hopefully, we'll be getting good seats for you to spot us out." Kiyoshi started. "If not, we'll just have to bring megaphones and hurl shouts of encouragement."

"You said it," Koganei said, "Is what Mitobe says." The raven-haired centre was nodding beside him.

Their chatter continued for a couple more minutes until Riko asked the Shadow and Light duo to sing a part of a song that they've already recorded. The two conceded, and the moment that the two opened their mouths, the rest of the Seirin team jaws dropped from astonishment. Kuroko's voice was soft and mellow, but at the same time, it had power. Kagami's own was raspy and different from his usual voice when talking. Hearing the two, the team was even more eager for their début.

Soon, Kuroko and Kagami to left for the Aihara Complex.

_xxxx_

At Kaijou, Kise and Kasamatsu had decided to tell their teammates about their new venture. They felt a little jealousy when they see Seirin motivating Kuroko and Kagami, and they had also felt that their teammates need to know. Kaijou were close with each other like Seirin were, so it made no sense to keep them in the dark any longer.

Which is why the regulars were all gathered in the clubroom on their day off.

"So, guys, there's something we have to tell you." Kasamatsu started. The tone of his voice was serious and the boys before him looked worried.

"Kasamatsu, it isn't something tragic, right?" Moriyama asked. "That tone of voice is giving me chills."

"I know right?" Nakamura agreed. Kise and Kasamatsu burst with laughter at their expressions.

"No, everything's fine, Moriyama-senpai." Kise said with a chuckle. "It's just that we're idol trainees."

There was a pause. The boys gawked at them ―more like Kasamatsu―with disbelief. With Kise it was slightly understandable, but their captain ― _Kasamatsu Yukio ―_ training to be an _idol?_ They were stumped or rather, it was simply _inconceivable!_

"Since…when…?" Hayakawa asked.

"You should ask 'why' and 'how'." Kobori said. "Isn't Kasamatsu as stiff as steel? How the hell is he able to dance?"

"I know music is your hobby, but this is shocking." Moriyama said. "So as Kobori said, _how did this happen?_ "

Kasamatsu let out a sigh. "It's a long story."

"We've got time and I'm pretty sure that you can summarise." Nakamura said. "If not, use bullet form if you have to."

Kise then looked to his captain, "I'll leave this to you Senpai."

Angered, Kasamatsu yelled, "What? We were there at the same time!"

"Take this as practice for when we're being interviewed. You are the leader after all." The blond ace smirked.

"You…"

_xxxx_

The days and weeks passed, Catal Rhythm finally mastering their routines. Hikaru and Akamine got them up to speed with singing and dancing simultaneously, however, the boys were only able to perform one song in such a state. If they were to sing twice, the second performance would be a total disaster. But they were just starting out so the instructors didn't pressure them that much. They wouldn't be singing two songs consecutively on the same stage anytime soon.

And as such, Catal Rhythm geared up for the Winter Cup. Kenji had given them the week off for that, since they needed to focus on basketball. Even so, the instructors had come along with Kenji to watch their boys' matches.

They managed to see the Seirin versus Shutoku match, and felt that it was breathtaking. Seeing Kagami and Kuroko in action against Takao and Midorima left them gawking, realizing how terrible (in a good sense) their boys were in their sport.

They had watched the Shutoku versus Rakuzan match as well, and were cheering on Midorima and Takao. Seeing the strength of Rakuzan, Kenji thought that the boys in orange weren't able to win. But then, Takao surprised them all, passing the ball directly into Midorima's hands who was already jumping in his shooting form.

"That's no easy feat…" Hikaru said in awe. "…did he perhaps learn a few things from Tetsuya?"

"I would believe so." Ichinose nodded in agreement.

But as the tournament carried on, they've come to ascertain their boys really were something else. Previously, they had thought that Kagami was a monster for being able to stop Midorima's shots with those freaky jumps; however, they saw what Kise was in a different league in the Seirin versus Kaijou match.

Kise was really a monster.

At one point in the match, he had a frightening shooting range and near impregnable defense, and the other, he was breaking out crazy antics that defied the laws of basketball. Kenji and the instructors had to wonder if the blond had gotten desperate and was playing recklessly.

They praised Kasamatsu's skills as well, but mostly commenting on his leadership (since they didn't really know much about the sport anyway). And to their surprise, Seirin had managed to snatch the win from Kaijou, Kenji zooming in to snap a picture of Kise's crying face.

On the final day of the Winter Cup, they had watched the Shutoku versus Kaijou match for third place, and were somewhat sad that Kise couldn't play due to his injury incurred from playing Haizaki. Rest assured, after that match, the instructors had sought out the boy and well, the gods had to beg for Haizaki's life.

After the third place match was the final match between Rakuzan and Seirin. To say it was heated would be an understatement, but the game was one hell of a match. Kenji and the instructors felt their lifespan shorten almost every minute of gameplay, and there was one point when Akashi had entered the zone, Hikaru felt like marching down there and forcibly haul Tetsuya from that dread.

With the match entering its final stages, the crowd was cheering on Seirin and miraculously, the boys in black, red and white managed to pull off a victory that many had already written off.

But even though Seirin were glad that they were now Winter Cup champions, Kuroko and Kagami (and the rest of Catal Rhythm) had another hurdle to get over.

Their first music video shoot.

_xxxx_

"Oh my God, I'm so nervous." Kasamatsu said as he did breathing exercises. However, he looked like he was in labour. Beside him, Kagami was jittery as well and had a pale look on his face. Kise looked normal, since being a model, he was used to these things, Kuroko was the usual ―indifferent and Takao was strangely quiet.

Currently, they were at _Image One,_ and were seated before their sets. They were all fully dressed and ready for the shoot, makeup and hairs done.

"Don't be nervous, Kasamatsu-kun." Ichinose said while patting the boy's back. "Remember this is just acting, I believe that you'll do just fine."

"But if it does end in a disaster there's no need to fret," Kenji joined in. "This is your first shoot after all."

That made the boys feel a lot worse. Takao's face turned pale and Kagami looked like he was about to faint anytime soon. Kasamatsu let out an anguished groan, Kise was trying his best to soothe his Senpai.

Hikaru and Akamine said nothing, because if they were to, nervousness is a natural course in life. After a couple minutes, the director walked over to the group with a smile on his face.

"Good day," he greeted. "Well you probably already know but I'm Kawasaki Haru, your director."

"Nice to meet you." The boys said in unison.

"I was told by Aihara-san that this is your first music video shoot. But don't worry about making mistakes, as a matter of fact, make all the mistakes you can. It's how people learn and grow, right?" Kawasaki smiled. Catal Rhythm were left in a daze. "And like my dear friend Ebumi would say, laugh at each other; it's a great stress relief."

"That I can do!" Takao perked. He received glares from the others in that instant. But that seemed to lighten their moods a bit. Kenji and the other exhaled a relief, seeing that their boys were coming around.

Since the boys had already received the script, they knew what the concept was for their video.

"Alright, this is how we'll do it." Kawasaki started yet again. "We'll be shooting the video set by set. It's easier that way."

"Set by set?" Kagami asked.

"Yes, for example, in a video, you'll see a scene at a playground and then after the singer sings a couple lines, it switches to another scene, totally different from the playground. But as the song continues on, the playground scene comes up again." Kawasaki started. "In those cases, what we do is film all the playground scenes at once, without having to jump back and forth between sets like fools. It is the editors job to cut and paste where these scenes should go in the video."

"I see. It does make sense." Kise said, although he was a model, he was never exposed to this.

"Of course! Imagine when shooting a music video on location in the outdoors. Do you think we have the time to be driving up and down between locations?! How funny!" Kawasaki said while erupting with laughter.

Even though they've watched many music videos, the thought of how they're made never flashed across their minds, not even once.

"That said, we'll be shooting at the third set first." Kawasaki then said.

"Yes Sir!" the boys headed off.

The third set depicted a street with two apartment-like buildings behind. One of these buildings was a brown three-story apartment with a red-door nestled to the right; below the door, there were small steps leading up to it.

The building beside it was green in colour and seemed to take up two slots and was a three storey like the one prior. But there was an orange metal pan staircase which led to the floor above. A little further down the street, there was a parked red convertible.

With confidence oozing out of their bodies, the boys waited for the music to start playing before they began their routine. They stood in the midst of the street, Kuroko, Kagami and Takao were in the front, while Kasamatsu and Kise were around the back, but were still visible in between the spaces of the other three.

Kagami was dressed in full black, a black blazer jacket over a black printed t-shirt with black jeans and sneakers. Kuroko donned a white shirt and tanned pair of jeans with white strap over sneakers. Takao wore full red ―a long sleeve red v-neck shirt tucked into a red pants and high-top shoes.

Kise was clothed the most casual, a checkered shirt with cuffed sleeves and denim jeans and sneakers. Beside him, Kasamatsu was dressed in a cream coloured blazer with a purple undershirt and dark jeans with sneakers.

All five boys wore laser-cut masks around their eyes but for each boy the colour was different ―Kasamatsu's was purple, Kise was a golden yellow, Takao had green, Kuroko had white, Kagami had red.

"Alright, just like what you've practiced!" Hikaru said. "Tune out everything before you and just dance!"

"Gonna be okay~!" Akamine sang. "Just dance~!"

Akamine was actually singing in English, but they knew that song all too well, after all, it was once a hit song even in Japan. Nodding to the teachers, they seemed ready.

The music then played and as Hikaru said, they danced just like they've practiced. However, because it's a video, it required them to have emotions. The first shot, the director had to stop them and tell them (except Kise) to have a little emotion. Even though they were in their masks, their faces were ―rather their lower face was still exposed. Hikaru would then blurt out,

"You aren't _only_ dance machines!"

As such, the boys did a second take, and this time, they tried their best to get it right. There were a couple hiccups here and there due to them still being nervous, and so they had to retake those scenes. Neither Kawasaki, nor the crew were really bothered as this was Catal Rhythm's first time doing a music video. Plus, even seasoned idols were still making mistakes so this was nothing.

The ones who made the most mistakes were Kagami and Kasamatsu, their nervousness was apparent from even before they had started shooting. Kenji, Hikaru and the other instructors often time laughed at the boys, but by no means were they full of scorn. Instead, it was to make them feel more comfortable.

The Director had no problems with Kuroko, Kise and occasionally Takao. When these boys got into the roles, they were pretty formidable. Their face shots were pretty good as well, as a matter of fact, everything the boys did (once they got past the nervousness) were actually pretty good.

After roughly twenty minutes they were finished, and the entire crew gave an applause. They had to film the entire dance routine twice, the first filming the boys were in one set of clothing, and the second, they were in various black outfits.

There was something about them and their routine that felt smooth and engaging, and a little playful. For a bunch of sixteen and seventeen year olds, it totally suited their age.

After taking a ten minute break, the boys then went to the dressing room to get changed, this time they won't be dancing much, but it took more of acting. Emerging from the room, Kenji and the instructors took pictures of the boys (much to the boys' displeasures).

This time, Kasamatsu was dressed in a blue denim jacket cuffed to his forearms over a white t-shirt with black jeans and white sneakers. He wore dark shades this time which concealed his eyes perfectly.

Kise was in a blue checkered shirt and light-blue jeans and dark sneakers and shades as well. Standing beside him was Takao, who was in a hooded jacket and dark jeans and sneakers. Kagami was in a white shirt with black sleeves and black jeans and a black and white tiger-striped cap. Kuroko was clothed in a grey printed t-shirt and dark blue jeans and white sneakers.

"Alright, now that you're all ready…" Kawasaki started. "Kise-kun, you're up!"

With a bounce, the blond walked onto the third set after receiving the prop from a crew member, and sat on the steps of the brown building.

"Action!"

Inhaling, Kise opened the box for a peek before closing it. He then leaned forward, rubbing his hands together nervously and looked behind him at the red door. He seemed a bit pensive and agitated, as if torn between entering the red door and staying outside.

"Cut!"

Kise's shoulders slumped in relief, but he knew it wasn't the end. And he could tell that this was where the embarrassment would start.

"That was quite good, Kise-kun! As expected of a model!" Kawasaki praised. "But you do remember what's coming next, right?"

"Hai…" Kise said, stealing a glance at his bandmates. He had a feeling that they would be cracking up at this segment.

"Good, now…Action!"

Quickly, the blond rose onto his feet and getting into the motions, he pretended to be singing. The track was playing so he knew how to do this part. He nailed this, but when the other line played, Kise didn't know what face to make.

"Cut!" Kawasaki shouted, bursting out with laughter. "Kise-kun…try to relax. Your face is too tense for this part."

Kise nodded. Doing breathing exercises like Kasamatsu, Kise tried to put himself at ease. This was a totally different thing from modelling or when they were practicing with Ichinose. But, he dared not to look across to the others, as he knew they were cracking up.

And right he was.

Takao and Kagami were covering their mouths so as to not burst out laughing, Kuroko had turned away his face, but his shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Kasamatsu was the only one who looked pale. When his scenes come up, he knew that he'd die of embarrassment up there.

"Alright, take two! Action!"

Not wanting to be on this set for longer than needed, Kise got into the frame of mind, and surprisingly, he executed the part well. It wasn't perfect but still good enough. Kawasaki decided that later he'd definitely do a re-take.

After fifteen minutes, Kise was finally done and the blond looked exhausted. He made countless mistakes, which caused the crew and everyone else to crack with laughter. Kawasaki reassured him that this was alright and mistakes were normal, but the blond looked like he'd faint from the embarrassment.

Takao was up next, and he too, had received a prop. His was a small black box with a ring inside of it.

"Action!"

The boy walked onto the set and like the storyboard says, he leaned on the street lamp present and looked up at the window of the green building with a contemplative expression. After releasing a sigh, Takao then walked up the orange metal pan stairs with a slow pace, the expression on his face was mixed with joy and nervousness. However, as he reached the second level, he made a misstep and stumbled forwards, almost landing on his face.

"Takaocchi!" Kise screeched, his voice was heard above everyone else's. Ichinose then had to agree with Akamine's choice of making him the main vocalist. He really has a strong throat.

"Cut!" Kawasaki shouted out of habit. In fact, he didn't need to tell the cameramen to stop filming.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Takao said as he straightened.

"Are you sure?" Another asked.

"Yes! After all, aren't I about to propose? Obviously I'm going to be nervous." He said with confidence.

"This boy…" Kawasaki said after which he and everyone else erupted with laughter. But in reality, Takao was extremely nervous. Even though he's practiced this with Ichinose and the others, it was still nerve-wracking. At least that mistake seemed to disrupt the intense silence previously.

"Alright, given that he's fine, let's continue! Action!" Kawasaki roared.

Takao continued with his scenes, and every now and then, Kawasaki had to do re-takes. This was natural, so Takao needn't fret. After couple minutes, Takao was done, and when he came off the set, he collapsed into Hikaru's arms.

"Thank God it's over!" he wailed. The others laughed at his expense, but they knew that their time was coming up (except Kise).

It was now Kagami's turn; Kise and Takao were already trying to stifle down their laughter. The look on his face was priceless, with every step he took his body swayed with nervousness and anxiety. Could this really be the same scary beast that they had faced in Winter Cup? Surely not!

"Shut up!" he roared, face was blushed with embarrassment already. Their snickers were quite audible, but it wasn't as though they were trying to hide it.

"Aw come on, Kagami-kun." Kawasaki said. "It's all a part of the industry. It's best if you feel embarrassed now by your peers than later on by strangers." He encouraged. "The world isn't so forgiving, and in this line of work, being 'thick-skinned' isn't enough to save you. You'll need to be 'steel-skinned' so as to be able to withstand the ferocious attacks. That's why I always tell rookies like you, make all the mistakes here, and laugh each other to scorn because that way, later on, it'll come to save your hides one way or the other."

There was truth to the director's words. Kise, who's been in the modelling industry, could attest to how savage people can get; Takao, who follows up with idol groups as identify that there are haters out there who live to see other's destruction.

"Okay, Action!"

Nodding, Kagami walked onto the set, but he wasn't given a prop like the others. Instead, he was to sit in the red convertible parked up. With a sly smile on his face, he looked in the rear-view mirror and he acted as though he was fixing his hair, which didn't need any fixing at all.

Afterwards, when the music kicked in, he was supposed to lip-sync like his teammates prior but his expression was rather…stiff. Laughter rang out, and Kawasaki immediately had that scene cut.

"You're supposed to look like your heart is confused! Remember, you're contemplating whether or not you should actually wait for the girl or confront her!" Kawasaki said, roaring with laughter. "You boys kill me! From Kise-kun until now I've been laughing! Oh God, spare me!" Kawasaki almost fell off his chair.

 _This man is evil,_ the boys thought in unison. But it was true; Kawasaki and his crew laughed at all who went so far. And it seems like no one will escape. Kagami placed his head on the steering wheel and sighed. How does a person in love even look? Maybe he should take reference from Kise when he looks at Kuroko. But that can't be called love. The blond only has a deep respect for the light-blue haired teen.

"Alright," Kawasaki said as he calmed down. He looked at his watch and let out a sigh of relief. They were still on time. "Kagami-kun, just remember what I told you and give it a shot this time! We'll be starting from when you're singing. The hair fixing scene was fine. Now….Action!"

Kagami tried yet again, and once more, everyone erupted with laughter. The nervousness of the redhead was clear; Kawasaki and his crew were having a field day. But after a couple re-takes, Kagami managed to pull it off, much to his relief.

After the one hour break, everyone returned to the sets, and Kasamatsu awaited his crucifixion. Like Kise and Takao, he had received a prop to work with. However, unlike the previous two, his was a bouquet.

"Sweep that girl off her feet, Yu-chan!" Takao cheered, Kise was beside him giving his captain two-thumbs up. Kasamatsu let out a sigh. At the outset, he had felt that either Kise or Takao should have received this part, but Kenji and the entire team were adamant he should do it.

Kasamatsu's set looked like the inside of an expensive apartment, the walls were painted in beige and the doors present were chocolate brown.

"And…Action!"

Kasamatsu looked from around the wall, seeming to be checking if there were people in the hallway. Upon seeing that the way was clear, Kasamatsu continued forward while hiding the bouquet behind him and singing. His smile was beautiful and Kawasaki thought that he captured the moment well. But as he neared the door, he leaned on the wall and let out a sigh. Looking at the bouquet and listening to the music, Kasamatsu sang. But his hands were trembling.

"Cut! Kasamatsu-kun…" Kawasaki started, stifling down his laughter. "…why are you trembling?"

"I'm just nervous that's all." He answered.

"Kasamatsu-kun, do you have a girlfriend?" Kawasaki asked.

The captain blushed. "No, I don't."

"Oh." The director fell into silence and looked across to the others. It made sense now that they were so nervous and somewhat clueless. They're singing about love but have never experienced it.

"You're still young. I advise you to get one." Kawasaki said with a wink. Feeling flustered and embarrassed, Kasamatsu turned away from them. The others were cracking up but then Kawasaki looked at them, "You lot are single too, right? This advice is for you as well."

Kenji and the instructors roared with laughter at the sight of the boys' expressions. Kagami spluttered incoherencies, Takao turned red instantly, Kise looked unaffected (of course, he'd be) and Kuroko had a…troubled look on his face.

But getting back to work, Kasamatsu continued filming his scenes, albeit, he made a lot of mistakes. The others laughed at him at times, and at other times they bellowed encouragements.

After Kasamatsu was finished with his scenes, it was Kuroko's turn.

Kuroko was the only one apart from Kise with the fewest mistakes, as some of his scenes utilized his nervousness perfectly. There were couple instances where he was required to act childish, and those were the parts that he messed up on. And just like the others, he got laughed at. But, he viewed it as exacting revenge by the others since he had laughed at them as well.

_xxxx_

The shoot was finally over, and the boys were beyond exhausted. They had fun, but it was too draining. But this was just the tip of the iceberg, as naturally, they'd be required to film more music videos later on.

"You did well, today," Akamine said with uncertainty in his voice. "For your first music video, I thought it would be completely disastrous but it was only partially disastrous, good job."

"Are we supposed to be happy about that?" Kagami asked. "A partially disastrous shoot?"

"Yes! Even though you guys had many re-takes to do and such, it didn't take two days as planned." Kenji said.

"Two days?!" they screeched.

"Yes, seasoned groups usually take like twelve to fourteen hours to shoot their videos depending on the concept, but for you rookies who have just started, naturally it'll take longer."

"I have to admit, when you got into your grooves, your acting was superb!" Ichinose perked.

"If it was so superb, how about you treat us to some good food?" Takao smirked.

"We planned to." Kenji and the instructors said.

Immediately, Kise started to loosen his belt and smirked. "Well, I am feeling quite…famished at the moment."

Hikaru knew all too well that the blond was a heavy eater from Kuroko's stories in his Teikou days. Add to that, there was Kagami who ate far too much for his age. Combine those two, and his pocket would be crying. Hikaru almost broke out in tears.

"Kagami-kun, Kise-kun, please go easy on us." The dance instructor ended up begging. But, it only fell on deaf ears, as the boys were already arguing over which restaurant they should go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	10. Hello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Song Used** : "Hello" by SHINee  
>  **For music video** : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skZxb5sBoiU
> 
> Kasamatsu ―the one with the bouquet, the one in the beige looking jacket and plain black long-sleeved shirt. (Onew)
> 
> Kise ―the one sitting on the steps in the grey cardigan, dark blue coloured shirt with black dots, (Jonghyun)
> 
> Takao ―the one in the full red and hodded jacket. (Key)
> 
> Kagami ―the one in the red convertible and full black. (Minho)
> 
> Kuroko ―the one in full white, and the bowl cut hair in black. (Taemin)

 

"Well, I must say, you boys are doing quite well." Kenji said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Thank you!" the five perked up.

"It's just as my motto,  _steady progress, rapid advance."_ Kasamatsu smirked.

"That's right, Yu-chan!" Takao said, throwing an arm over his shoulder.

Currently, Catal Rhythm were sitting in Kenji's office after they had left school. They weren't as exhausted as prior times, since the basketball season was taking break. It's been a week since they shot their music video, and their profiles have already been posted on the company's social media by the Publicity Department.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that your video will be released tomorrow at four o'clock." The young manager said this with a smile. "But given that it's your video, you guys have the privilege of viewing it before the masses. And you can bring your teams along."

"Yosh!" Kagami and Kise shouted. Kasamatsu only shook his head at their reactions, but Takao let out a whine.

"My teammates didn't believe me when I said I was becoming an idol."

"Well, tough luck, Takao-kun." Kuroko said in his usual monotone. But his face showed pity.

Takao nearly broke out in tears. "It's unfair! I wanna have a team's motivation too!"

"Then transfer schools." Kagami said in a matter-of-factly. "That way, you could get motivation from Seirin or Kaijou, whichever you choose."

Takao gasped. "But I can't leave Shin-chan alone! He needs my passes!"

There was silence for a moment.

"Oh that's right." Kasamatsu nodded. "That aerial pass thing was pretty cool."

"It's called the  _Sky Direct Shot!_ " the hawk-eyed boy huffed. Hearing Kasamatsu refer to the pass he created through blood, sweat and tears as 'aerial pass thing' was disappointing.

"Alright, alright." Kenji said, getting back their attention. "You can argue as much as you want over basketball. The pressing issue here is getting fans. We usually have our débuting have their own web drama or something, but you lot decided to hide your faces."

"But Kenji-san, fangirls are vicious! I don't want to die young!" Kise wailed. "My high school life is already is jeopardy!"

Kenji laughed. "Rest assured, I totally understood from the first time you told me. So, you know what you have to do come February right?"

"Steal fans!" Takao perked.

"Since there'll be fans from all the artistes managed, it wouldn't kill to win the hearts of some of them." Kasamatsu grinned; his fighting spirit was set ablaze. As a matter of fact, they all were. In the boy's minds, it was similar to a basketball match; anyone who stood in their way will be overthrown.

Kenji liked this aspect of them the most, with such immense pressure on their shoulders, instead they roll over and die, they faced it head-on with confidence.

"Also, after your début, be prepared to be on almost every variety show under the sun."

"Eh?"

"Don't 'Eh?' me." Kenji said. "I want you to be famous. So obviously, I'm going to do everything to get your name out there. Japanese people just love to tune into their variety shows, you know?"

The boys nodded their understanding. But in their heads, variety shows can't be worst than a basketball match against a member of the Generation of Miracles.

"I'll be touching on this at a later date, but I'll give you a heads up," Kenji continued. "You'll be living together soon. That way, you five are always in the same place at the same time, except for when you have school. Clear?"

"I'll be living with  _that?!_ " Kagami roared in shock while pointing to Kise.

"Who are you calling  _that_?" Kise shouted back in rage. His screech was ear splitting.

"Boys, calm down. It's the standard procedure. I don't gas to waste driving through Kanagawa and Tokyo to pick you up from your houses. Plus, you need to familiarize yourselves with each other. It's going to come in handy."

Kagami deflated. Kise was only upset that Kagami referred to him as a thing, but he knew that idols lived together with their manager as well, so too did Takao. Kuroko looked a bit happy at that, seeing that he's an only child. Kasamatsu, for the first time, seemed indifferent.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Kagami asked.

"Not yet. In roughly two weeks' time or so."

"Talk about planning ahead." Takao joked.

"It's not that. It's just that regarding a certain matter, the President will address you and the other groups. It's going to take place in two weeks time, but you needn't to worry about it now." Seeing the pale look on their faces, Kenji swiftly reassured them, "It's just some words of encouragement or shit like that. He's not going to kick you out or anything! Rest easy!"

"That's a relief."

"Anyway, you can head to your practice room if you want. Hikaru won't mind having a session or two with you."

"Ah, we got homework." They lied in unison.

"I have to teach Kise math," Kasamatsu said. "He's hopeless in it."

"I have to teach Tai-chan English." Takao lied.

"I have to teach Kagami-kun Japanese."

"I have to teach Kagamicchi History."

"Hey! Why is everyone picking on me?!"

_xxxx_

The next day, after school, neither of the regulars (except Shutoku) went to practice. Instead, they decided to meet at the Complex to watch their teammates' music video.

Kaijou's regulars sat underneath a gazebo near to the entrance gate, chatting away. After hearing that their captain and ace were becoming idols stunned the entire team. While Kise would seem more like the idol, Kasamatsu…not so much. If anything, he seemed to be more of a musician.

"So Kasamatsu, have you met Triple Threat yet?" Moriyama asked eagerly. "Could you get me ―"

"Go to their concerts if you want anything!" Kasamatsu interjected quickly.

"I can't!" the third year shouted. "I'll have to save for all  _your_ concerts! I don't have time for Triple Threat!"

Kise and Kasamatsu were moved by that statement. Knowing their Senpai, they thought he would have opted for attending the girl group's concerts instead. Hearing that sentence, softened him up.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Kasamatsu mumbled. "But, it's going to take a while since I don't even know what they look like."

"I know. I'm talking about when you get famous. All the girls will fawn over you won't they?"

"They'll fawn over Kise, not me." Kasamatsu said. "He's the one with the frighteningly good looks."

"Please Senpai, with your air of maturity; girls will be left weak under your gaze!" Kise joked.

"You guys…" Kasamatsu looked as though he would kick them both this instant. But before he could even do anything, they heard Takao's voice rang out.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Blue Elites." The raven-haired greeted. The Seirin team were behind him with pleasant looks on their faces.

After their greetings, the group headed towards their practice room and upon entering, they were greeted by Kenji. He was already waiting and the reason they were watching it in the practice room was because they were a big group.

When everyone was finally seated and settled down, Kenji played the video.

…

The sound of a piano rang out before the scene appeared.

With his chin on his hands, Kuroko was sitting on a bed with dark blue sheets looking a bit nervous; a white furry mat was before him. To one side of the room there was a small red sofa with yellow pillows and next to that was a table and chair. The camera zoomed in to his face which at that moment he exhaled a breath which puffed out his cheeks. Here, he was dressed in a grey printed shirt and dark blue jeans with white sneakers. He wore shades.

"Aww…" was the unison reaction of the group present.

The scene then faded out to reveal Kise sitting on steps that led to a red door. He had a box in his lap and he took a peek at what was inside. The blond ace was dressed in a blue checkered shirt with light blue jeans and dark sneakers. His dark shades hid his brown eyes really well.

The scene then switched to Takao, who had walked up to a street lamp and leaned on it. The boy looked up at the green building before releasing a sigh and turning his attention to the people walking by.

Again, the scene changed to Kagami, who was sitting in a red convertible, fixing his hair in the rear-view mirror.

"Pfft! Fixing up for your sweetheart, I see." Hyuuga teased. "I wonder what she looks like."

"Captain!" Kagami shouted in embarrassment.

The scene changed to Kasamatsu, who was in a blue denim jacket over a white t-shirt, leaning on a brown door in what seemed to be a hallway. He held a bouquet in his hands. Afterwards, he moved off, heading to his destination.

"Oohh," Nakamura started. "Kasamatsu seems a bit excited here. I say, what is this girl like?"

The group erupted in laughter at his statement and Kasamatsu's face.

The scene then faded out into black and an upbeat music started. The scene then revealed the five boys, standing in what seemed to be a road. Their background were the two three-storey buildings, one to the left was brown in colour with a red door nestled to its right, and the other was green with orange metal pan stairs going all the way up to the third floor.

Kasamatsu and Kise were at the back while Kagami, Kuroko and Takao made up the front line in that order.

Then, as though matching the beat, they began their dance. With swift movements, they crossed on foot over the other with their toes touching the ground instead of their entire sole. The camera zoomed upwards to reveal them moving their shoulders up and down after which they turned their faces to [their] left.

Gliding on their heels, Kagami, Kuroko and Takao who were in the front switched positions and walked to the back line while Kise and Kasamatsu moved up to the front. They then held the tip of their shirts and pulled themselves as they turned to [their] right.

_When I act like this, I realize I'm actually young_

_You're in front of my eyes and I don't know what to do._

At this, Kise's face came up as he was the one who was singing. Taking two rhythmic steps forwards, the boys matched the beat until they came to a halt. Almost immediately, they continuously moved their feet to [their] left. While Kise didn't move since he was the one singing, the ones behind him did.

At first, Kagami and Kasamatsu flanked him on his right and left, while Kuroko and Takao were behind. However, as the blond was nearing the end of his lines, Kuroko and Takao moved further outwards, while Kagami and Kasamatsu moved closer inwards, ultimately forming a 'V' while they danced.

_How did you start love?_

_People who have loved, please tell me._

This time it was Kasamatsu who sang. The camera had zoomed into his face for a portrait shot like Kise, but not long after, while he was still singing, the scene switched to him in the hallway, peering around a wall with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. It then switched back to them dancing in the street, focusing on the second year. He had formed a heart with his hands after which the scene changed yet again to him in the hallway, but this time he was he walking towards his destination while placing the bouquet behind him.

_Will there be a day when I hold her hand?_

The scene changed back to the street, but this time it was on Kuroko. While he sang, the others behind him (Kise and Takao on his right, Kagami and Kasamatsu on his left) were still dancing. The two pairs faced each other, after which they interlocked elbows and swapped positions.

_Will there be a day when I kiss her above her closed eyes?_

The camera zoomed in on Kise since this was his part, that moment; he placed his index and middle fingers to indicate the 'Kiss' he said while the others danced behind him.

"Not bad, not bad boys!" Riko said with a smile on her face. "You lot can move."

"I know right?" Kobori agreed. "And here I was planning on laughing at Kasamatsu."

They looked back at the video to see the boys in a 'V' formation, Kuroko at the front, Kise and Takao flanking him, Kagami behind Kise and Kasamatsu was behind Takao.

_Hello, Hello,_

_I acted confidently (Takao)_

_Hello, Hello,_

_I want to talk to you for a moment (Kasamatsu)_

_Hello, Hello,_

_I might stutter a little though, (Kise)_

_Who knows,_

_we might actually be together (Kuroko)_

With a step forward in one direction first, they brought out their arms after which they placed it behind their backs. When it Takao's part, Kuroko made a step backwards, while Takao and Kise came forward. The hawk-eyed boy sang beautifully. When Kasamatsu's time came around, the camera zoomed closer to him, where he made a mouth with his hand and smiled while singing.

Then, the boys spun, turning their backs but went onto their toes for second, matching the beat of the music. Turning back around, Takao's face was in the portrait shot but both his hands at the side of his face. Kise's turn came, and when he sang his part, Seirin and Kaijou's jaws dropped.

"This is unfair! Good looking, good at basketball, great singer and a good dancer too…" Koganei started. "Can't you leave some skills for the rest of us?"

The group burst with laughter. Some agreed with Koganei, Kise was too talented for his own good.

"That's right, you were already blessed with a good face, but no, you couldn't satisfy." Moriyama humphed.

"Moriyama-senpai! How could you say such a thing!? It was Senpai who dragged me into it!"

"You lying brat!" Kasamatsu roared.

"Oh shit! It's Kagami!" Furihata shouted. That brought back their attention to the video and indeed, they were shocked.

_Should I confront you?_

_Should I wait for you?_

The redhead was singing, and not at all did it sound terrible. His face was even zoomed, and even though they couldn't see his full face due to the mask, it was hard to discern his eyes. Here, they had changed their clothes and were in black outfits; the teams wondering when did that happen.

The scene flicked to them dancing in the street, this time, Kagami was in the middle and at the front, while the others were behind. But, not long after, the scene changed to him sitting in his convertible.

"Oh damn, Kagami!" Izuki said. "If you can do it, then there's hope for the rest of us!"

"I know right!?" Nakamura agreed.

"Still, when did they change outfits? I didn't even notice." Kobori said.

"Actually, we had to dance the entire routine twice, the first in the first set of clothing and the second we were in the black outfits." Takao said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. How else do you think the video has us dancing in two sets of clothing? I'm pretty sure they aren't that meticulous to know exactly which part of our choreography they're going to use and where."

"Umm guys," Kawahara said to gain their attention.

"Hmm?"

"The song is almost finished and you aren't paying attention."

"WHAT?!"

Looking at the flat-screen, they saw Kagami jump out of his convertible onto the road, before the scene switched to them in their black outfits dancing in the street. Kuroko was the furthest to [their] right, followed by Kagami and Takao and finally Kasamatsu and Kise.

They kicked one of their feet forward after which they fluidly went into a body roll. Placing a hand over their heads, they then turned to face the camera when the scene switched again, to Kagami leaning on the car. However, he was rapping.

_Hello, the times I spent by your side_

_Can no more compare to any other happiness_

_I can't express myself to you_

_My heart wants all of you, never let you go_

_If this is love, I'll never let it go_

_Who knows about the two of us?_

His deep voice actually fit the part, and even though Kagami really did seem more like a rapper, hearing him left them stunned. There were more scene switches while he was rapping ―them dancing, and portrait shots of them singing.

At the end of the singing, the scene faded into black before another scene appeared.

Takao was seen standing on the staircase, staring at a small black box in his hands. When he opened it, there was a ring present and a couple seconds after, he walked off.

Then, Kise came into view, he was sitting on the stairs of the brown building, but looking at his face (or what could be seen), he seemed as though he had gotten courage and so he marched up to the red door.

Kuroko was sitting around a table in his room, drawing hearts on what seemed to be a balloon like toy. He then placed the toy on his chin after which he smiled. It seemed as though he just had a happy thought.

"Is he going to give that to the girl they're singing about?" Nakamura asked.

"Beats me." Riko answered.

Kagami moved from his car and was seen walking towards the brown building, although the teams couldn't deduce if he was going to the green or the brown one.

Kasamatsu was back in the hallway, but this time he was hesitant to knock the door before him. He turned around and let out a breath, before facing the door and knocking twice.

The video then faded out to black, which signalled its end.

"We have to watch it again!" Hyuuga roared. "I didn't get to see half of it!"

"Me too! This time, I'm paying attention to Kasamatsu!" Moriyama said. "I may even video it to laugh some more when I get home!"

"Well, I saw everything, and I liked it." Furihata said with a smile. "The song is simple, but there are so much feels in it."

"I know right, and I'm kinda glad that you guys aren't doing hip-hop. I just can't imagine Kise and Kuroko behaving all rough-like." Hayakawa said. He wasn't overly pumped up so his words have formed perfectly.

"Yeah,  _D:FI_ is like that. Strong, edgy, I think you have some stiff competition." Nakamura said.

"Don't discourage them." Kiyoshi finally spoke up.

"Please, it's going to take a lot more to discourage us." Kasamatsu said. "Wait, isn't D:FI the group that Amari and Hirose are in?"

"Yeah."

"But anyway, enough of D:FI, let's begin rewatching!" Riko said.

"Hai!"

_xxxx_

Kasamatsu sat in his classroom which was noisy and full of chatter. The only reason why he isn't up on the roof is because he might fall asleep. Still, he swore to himself to never let his team and Seirin watch their videos again. The two teams watched their videos a total of five times, each time focusing on one member. They laughed, they cheered, they teased….they did everything.

As he was about to put in his earphones to listen to some music, he heard a girl's voice.

"Have you seen the post by Aihara Productions? There's another group that they'll be débuting!" one girl shrieked while scrolling on her phone. Hearing that, Kasamatsu's ears automatically perked up. After all, Kenji had informed them that their profiles would have been posted this week.

"No way!" another said, leaning over to see what was on the phone's screen.

"Yeah, I've seen it. I already know  _D:FI_ and  _Trilogy_ from their web dramas that's going on, but  _Catal Rhythm_ are fresh out of training!" a third joined in the conversation. "I even saw their music video! It was pretty sweet! A total opposite of D:FI."

"I do admit, they're pretty hot and mysterious." Girl A said with a smile. "The one in the red tiger stripes seems like the main rapper or dancer. He gives me that vibe." She then added, "Plus, his name is  _Taiga_. It sounds so cool!"

"More like a wild animal." Girl B snorted and folded her arms. "I think I may end up liking Sora, right here, he looks like a boss. Maybe he's the leader."

Kasamatsu wracked his brain to remember which photo they took and he probably deduced that it was one of their group photos in the white sofa. The girls' chatter died down considerably and Kasamatsu was almost dozing off again. However, he heard something that nearly made him fall off his chair.

"Hey, doesn't the blond ― _Sunn_ , looks like Kise-kun? I mean, look at the hair." Girl C said. "Kise-kun wears that exact same style!"

"So what? Anyone can wear that hair-do. How are we even sure if that's his real hair colour? Look at Sora, his hair is light blue."

Kasamatsu exhaled a sigh of relief. He wasn't actually worried about himself, but for Kise. The ace was already facing a rough time with his crazy modelling fans; he couldn't imagine the stress of having his fanbase doubled because he's an idol. Kasamatsu shivered. That was the main reason for them to wear masks. Fans are extremely dangerous.

"But it says here that both Sunn and Yuki attend Kaijou. So, the possibility of Sunn being Kise-kun isn't far-fetched, right? He is a model." Girl C said.

"That's true." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"But if Sunn ends up being Kise-kun, who would be Yuki?"

"Like hell we'd know." Girls A and B responded.

"I doubt it'll be anyone from the basketball club. Those boys don't seem like idol material." Girl A said with a slight disgust.

"Maybe Moriyama-senpai could cut it." Girl C, tapping her chin in thought. "He has the looks for it."

"We don't think so."

Kasamatsu coughed to hide his laughter. If Moriyama were to hear this, God knows what would happen. After that, Kasamatsu tuned out the girls and tried to doze off before homeroom starts. But to think that Kise's fans would be able to pick him out already…fangirls really are frightening creatures.

_xxxx_

Takao was a ball of sunshine. He sat in his seat, humming the tune of one of their recorded songs. He was in a good mood, remembering the music video shoot. Looking back, it was really funny, seeing themselves flustered and such. When he entered into his classroom, he noticed that some girls seemed to be chatting about something. Takao ignored them, as this was a usual thing.

"Doesn't Yuki look hot?! I mean, I don't know him, but this picture is just so…" one girl gushed. She seemed a bit drunk.

Hearing the name 'Yuki', Takao froze. There was only one person with that name and that was Kasamatsu. Deciding to eavesdrop, Takao listened to their conversation.

"You always go for the leaders, don't you?" the other girl smirked.

"No…" Girl A denied, albeit unconvincingly. "It's just that Yuki gives off this aura of sophistication. They all look really good, but there's something about Yuki that makes me want to grab him!" Girl A continued. "I'm conflicted! I like Hirose-kun from  _D:FI_ but Yuki-kun wants to steal my heart! Especially in their music video! That bouquet…that smile…gosh!"

Takao nearly bust with laughter. The hawk-eyed boy imagined Kasamatsu's face if he were to hear this. He looks so sophisticated that a girl wants to grab him and that he's stealing her heart? Takao doubled his lips as to not erupt.

"But why doesn't this group have their own drama like the other groups? I'd love to know more about them."

"Beats me, but I guess they're going for the mysterious vibe. We can't even see what their eyes look like, and they haven't even put up their birth names! Only stage names!"

"I realized. But I noticed something, Taka's school is Shutoku!"

"Yeah, but his hair is black. It's so generic, so we won't be able to find out who he is exactly. There're so many black haired boys here!"

"We're Japanese. Have you forgotten?"

Takao couldn't contain it. But before he laughed, he unlocked his phone screen and stared at the wallpaper to make it seem like he's reading something.  _Then_ he busts with laughter.

"Oh man, I  _have_ to tell Yu-chan this later!"

_xxxx_

Kuroko and Kagami faced a similar thing like their bandmates. All around, there were people talking about débuting groups, but the one most talked about is Catal Rhythm. It wasn't that the other groups weren't popular, but it was the fact that their eyes were hidden beneath dark shades. Add to that, apart from other information, only their stage names were posted. Other groups had both their stage names and birth names posted, but for them, it was not so.

But, this simply means that people are curious, and when they're curious, they'll end up being interested.

"It feels strange." Kagami said to Kuroko. "Hearing people talk about you it's kinda creepy."

"I agree." Kuroko responded. "People never notice me, so to be hearing people talking about 'Sora' is quite unnerving."

Kagami nearly laughed at his partner. The look on his face was priceless, but the redhead noticed that these days, he's being a lot more expressive. In times past, Kuroko usually had a deadpan expression even if he's happy (well, maybe, he'll have a small smile) but now, Kagami is almost able to read him like a book.

Suddenly, a gasp drew their attention to a group of girls.

"Look at this! Two of them attend Seirin!" one of the girls shrieked.

"Really?!" the others joined in.

Kagami involuntarily shivered. Although, as Kuroko had said earlier, given his personality, there's no way people would find out that he's  _Taiga._ But the redhead couldn't help but fret. He's seen how Kise's fans flock him, in reality; he doubts that he's prepared to face such a calamity.

"Kagami-kun, relax. No one will suspect you." Kuroko reassured. "After all, you're a basketball idiot who even managed to fail English in the proficiency tests earlier up in the school year. Obviously, you aren't idol material."

Kagami twitched with rage. "Kuroko…you little shit…"

"That hurts Kagami-kun," Kuroko deadpanned although his face was twisted somewhat. Immediately, Kagami took out his phone and snapped a picture.

"Why'd you take a picture?" Kuroko asked.

"No reason." Kagami spun around his seat with a smile on his face. Before Kuroko could react, the teacher walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	11. Perfect 5th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Songs used** : Infinite - BTD (Before the Dawn), Last Romeo
> 
>  **For Last Romeo full dance** : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Keux-aGfoM4

 

"Takao-kun!"

The raven-haired boy turned around as he heard a voice calling him. He was currently on his way to the Aihara Complex from school, so he was somewhat surprised that someone called him. He knew that his teammates were still in training.

However, as he saw who the voice belonged to, a smile appeared on his face. Internally, he was glad that it wasn't Miyaji.

"Hattori-chan, what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much," she replied. "Say, are you 'Taka' from Catal Rhythm?" Takao halted. But Aika continued, "I know everyone who's débuting, so I found it strange that I never met 'Catal Rhythm' before. But then, I remembered that you and your friends were under Kuroko-san's demonic tutelage."

"Oh, that makes sense." Takao nodded in agreement. "And yes, I am."

"You've got the entire school in a frenzy, though." She said with a chuckle. "Almost everyone wants to know who 'Taka' is. I'm surprised that no one has started to suspect you yet."

Takao looked smug. "When you've built up a certain reputation, people will tend to overlook you because of it."

"Makes sense." Aika then stole a glance at Takao. "Why is it that you want to hide your faces? And your birth names?"

"Simple. Fangirls are dangerous. When Ryou-chan recalls his daily struggles, we all realized that we aren't completely ready for that yet."

"Then why did you post your school on your profiles?"

"Because we didn't want to be _completely_ anonymous. I mean, prospective fans aren't able to see our faces; we can't withhold too much information from them. It's the least we could do."

"Ah." Aika said in understanding.

The two then walked to the training while continuing their chatter, however, their topics spanned different areas. And before they knew it, they had arrived in Kanagawa. These days, since everyone knew where the complex is, it didn't matter that they should wait on each other. Still, since Aika was a dancer there (both back-up and lead/follow in dancesport) the two would often head there together.

After heading their separate ways, Takao headed for the designated room and found that everyone was present. Greeting them, he headed towards Kasamatsu and didn't hold back,

"Man, Yu-chan already has the hearts of many girls weak!" He guffawed.

"Pfrrt!" Kasamatsu, who was drinking from a bottle of water, involuntarily did a spit-take and proceeded to hack afterwards. "Me? What did I do?" he asked after he recovered.

"You just 'look so sophisticated' that the girls at my school want to 'grab' you!"

"Really?" Kagami said in shock. "Way to go, Senpai. You might give Kise some good competition."

"It's not funny." Kasamatsu argued. "But Kise is in a worse state than me though."

"And why's that?" the others asked simultaneously.

"My fangirls are starting to speculate that I'm Sunn." Kise groaned in agony. "I have to be constantly countering their questions with witty clapbacks and other questions. It's exhausting."

"Holy shit." Takao and Kagami said, covering their mouths in disbelief.

"Fangirls. They really are dangerous." Kuroko joined in with a sip of his milkshake. At the moment, all five boys were sitting in the music room, awaiting the arrival of Akamine. This time, they were going to be learning song composition, as is standard for every trainee.

"I know right?!" Kise whined. "But luckily, there's no concrete evidence or else I would probably have to be home-schooled!"

"Home-schooled?!" Takao couldn't contain his laughter. Nor did he try to. He pats Kise's back as he laughed, and the blond ace was definitely, not amused.

"But guys, there's an issue here." Kasamatsu then spoke up. "How long will we keep our identities from the public? Can't be forever."

"I know," Kuroko said while nodding. "Probably until we get the hang of things. Hirose-kun says that he may end up becoming a Sprinter due to him always having to be running from fervent fans."

"We won't get the hang of things if people don't know what we look like." Takao said with a chuckle. "Unless when we're performing and have to leave through the crowd."

"Hmm? How about when we're third years?" Kagami said. "Like at the ending of our third year, that way we'd go through high school normally and won't suffer like Kise did. In University, we're free to wear whatever we want. There shouldn't be problem there."

"Kurokocchi, is there some drug you're secretly giving Kagamicchi?" Kise asked. "He seems a lot smarter these days."

"What was that?!" the redhead roared.

"You heard me." Kise said with an equal tone.

"Alright boys! Rip each other to shreds when you decide to retire from being idols!" Kenji said as he grabbed the two by their hairs. "Be nice now." The young man's eyes darkened.

"Yes Sir!" they both came out with.

"Anyway, I have something to tell you." Kenji grinned. He then dug inside his jacket's pocket and pulled out five tickets. Confused, the five boys stared at the man. "These are concert tickets. I'm going to bring you to a concert so you can know what an idol performance is like."

"And who we'll go see?" Kasamatsu asked before he looked at the ticket.

Kenji smirked. "Perfect 5th."

The moment Kenji said so, both Kise and Takao screamed in joy, hugging each other in the process.

"This is a learning experience. No fanboying allowed." Kenji warned. "The venue is the Tokyo Dome. And don't worry; I'll be carrying you there."

Immediately, Kise and Takao deflated and pouted at their manager. At this time, Akamine arrived, oblivious to what happened prior. He saw that Kise and Takao seemed a bit down, while Kuroko, Kasamatsu and Kagami looked somewhat shocked. When he caught the look on Kenji's face, Akamine knew that he must've been the cause of the boys' current disposition.

When Kenji left, Akamine began.

_xxxx_

The air outside of the Tokyo Dome was filled with noise.

Chatter, laughter, squeals and shrieks rang out incessantly as fans were eagerly waiting to enter the venue. It is here that a Perfect 5th concert was going to be held, and everyone wanted good seats.

Kenji drove into the packed parking lot, and managed to get a space. Apparently, most of the crowd travelled here on foot or by train, not by their personal vehicles.

"Wow, that's a lot of people." Takao said as he exited the car. "Will we even get good seats?"

Kenji chuckled. "I said this is a learning experience, right? Take the time-out to know how dangerous your manager can be."

With his five boys following, Kenji walked towards the side entrance of the Tokyo Dome. While fans were queuing at the main gate and other designated gates, they had slipped through the smaller gates that staff and performers and teams used.

Soon, they entered a hallway which had staff walking around, seeming to be getting everything in order. No one paid any attention to them and Catal Rhythm wondered about the security of this place.

But as they continued on, they noticed that the staffs were greeting Kenji and vice-versa. Then, they reached Perfect 5th's dressing room, but as tempted as Takao and Kise were to enter, Kenji walked past without even a glance.

"And we are here." Kenji said with a hand on his hip. They had entered the seating area and were looking down at the stage that was set-up. Inside was dimly lit, and the only lights were on the stage where the stage crew were and also, Perfect 5th. They were rehearsing and it seems as though they already had microphone checks.

"Well, boys take your seats." Kenji then urged.

"Eh? Here?!" Takao and Kise screeched in horror. They were in the middle section of the Dome, but in essence, they were pretty far from the stage. It was almost as though they were at the back.

"Yes."

"But it's so far from the stage! How could you do this to us Kenji-san?!" Kise cried, clinging onto his shirt. The look on the blond's face seemed like he was in pain.

"I already told you, this is a learning experience. There's a reason why I chose these seats. When the concert starts you'll see what I mean."

Kasamatsu, Kagami and Kuroko had already taken their seats, and were ignoring the screaming boys. Kuroko wore a white baseball cap so that the others could see him at all times.

Sometime later, Fans were now streaming in carrying the noise from the outside with them. Within minutes the entire dome was full, the noise level rose to deafening levels. Kise and Takao were used to this, since the former has been to many concerts while the latter has been to a few.

Suddenly, the lights completely turned off, leaving the fans in darkness. But that was the cue and as such, they turned on their glow sticks. Neon green seemed to be floating on a sea of black, and even Catal Rhythm had gotten glow sticks from Kenji but only Takao and Kise used them. Kuroko, Kasamatsu and Kagami weren't fans of Perfect 5th, not that they didn't like them, but they didn't know of them before their trainee days.

The stage was well lit, with beautiful inter-changing lights donning the edges. From the main stage was a long runway that eventually forked into five smaller walkways.

"I'm so excited!" Kise squealed with glee as he gripped his glow stick. His entire body was shaking with excitement.

"Me too, Ryou-chan!" Takao chirped.

"This is a learning experience!" Kenji roared.

"But Kenji-san, my inner fangirl is raging." Kise pouted. "She wants to come out."

"You better keep her under control." He said, however, it fell on deaf ears. In that instant, a song rang out:

_Because I listen to my heart beat one by one._

Hearing just that one line, the crowd erupted (including Kise and Takao) into a frenzy. Fans were screaming and shouting hysterically with great fever. It was the first time for Kuroko and Kagami who've never been to a concert to see such terrifying excitement. Add to that, the concert hasn't even fully started. Perfect 5th had only sung one line from one of their songs. They were deeply shocked. This far exceeded the excitement at a basketball match which sometimes could get crazy.

Then, the lights focused on the stage, and the five members of Perfect 5th walked majestically down the runway, smiling and waving to their fans.

Starting from the left was Adachi Daigo, the Main Rapper. His stage name is "D.G."

His short black hair was styled in the dandy medium fringe-up to reveal piercing green eyes. But although he was serious, there was warmth and joy sparkling within. He wore a gold and black suit like the rest of his bandmates ―he was in a gold pants with a black v-neck sleeveless shirt tucked into the pants to reveal an elaborate belt beneath.

Next to him was Kirishima Akio, the Vocalist and Lead Rapper. His stage name is "Aki". He was dressed in a black pants and a gold t-shirt. He too had short black hair but with amber highlights. His bright brown eyes sparkled with fun.

In the middle was Reizaki Reiya, the Leader of the group and the Lead Vocalist. His stage name is "Rei", with fans and his bandmates often time calling him "Rei-Rei". His hair was white with streaks of red and black, his eyes were maroon. His outfit was similar to Daigo's.

Beside him was Yaze Jun, the Main Dancer. He uses his Christian name as his stage name.

He was the only one who wore an extra piece of clothing ―a blazer. He has short curly brown hair which gives him a cute look and playful blue eyes.

Lastly, but not least was Yashiro Tobio, the Main Vocalist. His stage name is simple, "T". He has blond hair with long bangs worn slightly to the left. His blue eyes glowed with happiness.

"What's up, guys?!" Akio greeted. In that instant, the reply he received was a loud roar coming from the thousands of fans that were gathered. Further in the crowd, Kuroko and Kagami felt as though they were being deafened. When they looked to the others, they noticed that they seemed unperturbed by the noise. Kenji was normal, Kasamatsu looked as though he was used to this, Kise and Takao were out of the question.

"Kasamatsu-senpai, you've been to a concert before?" Kuroko couldn't help but ask.

"Yes I have." The captain replied. "But I haven't gone to a pop concert. I've been to rock concerts instead."

Kuroko's eyebrows rose in shock. "You like rock music?"

"Yeah, I do. I play the guitar so I got interested in rock music because of it."

"I see."

Their conversation was stopped due to the crowd screaming even louder. The music then played and the five boys of Perfect 5th assumed their positions quickly. As soon as Akio started to sing, Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu saw something amazing. Even though they were this far back in the crowd, they could feel every drop of Perfect 5th's energy. It felt as though some invisible force slapped them squarely in the face. At this moment, Kagami looked around their area and saw the reactions of the people, Kise and Takao (who were too much into this).

It was like they were possessed.

They moved with too much energy and sang everything word for word that Kagami had to chuckle to himself. As the song continued, the crowd sang louder and louder, Perfect 5th sometimes pointed their mics to the crowd and urged them to sing on.

By the time the idols reached into their third song, Kasamatsu was tapping his foot rhythmically, Kuroko danced every now and then, Kagami rapped at the right moments. Kise and Takao had already gone insane from the offset, and Kenji could only look on with a little tinge of regret. Still, he was glad that he hadn't bought the VIP tickets; he wouldn't know what he'd do with the blond and the hawk-eyed boy.

As such, the concert carried on, the crowd fired up and not easing down for a second, Perfect 5th sang and danced with everything they've got, riling up the crowd even further.

At the intermission, Perfect 5th had something planned.

"Alright guys, we have a special segment for you~!" Tobio chirped. At this, the crowd once more let out a thunderous roar. A member of the stage crew came up and handed him what looked like an envelope, after which all five boys gathered around as Tobio opened it.

"We will be giving ten lucky persons a chance to come up on stage and either sing, dance, or take pictures with us."

In the crowd, Takao and Kise broke out in tears. Usually, in these cases, only those in the front would have a chance. Kenji heaved a sigh of relief, as knowing these boys' luck, anything could happen.

"Calm down, boys," Kenji tried to soothe. "You'll meet Perfect 5th sooner or later anytime you want."

"But…" the two boys whined.

"―this time we'll be picking those from the back!" Akio said. In that moment, Kenji's head turned so fast to the stage that he could have gotten whiplash. Of all the days to choose people who are in the back, the idols choose _today_ …what rotten luck. However, even though Kenji was worrying his ass off, Kise and Takao were screaming with hope.

"So, we'll start with the first five. They are…"

Catal Rhythm waited with bated breaths, waiting to see who the persons were. Kise and Takao, however, were hoping that their ticket numbers may end up being called.

"…ticket numbers 23434, 23500, 23678, 23849, 23970." Daigo read out. "Come on up!"

Kise and Takao went into hysterics. Kasamatsu, Kuroko and Kagami were just too shocked to move, Kenji felt like fainting from the incredulity. The other reason he never purchased the other type of tickets was because of this very same thing. To think that they would do this _now._ What absurd luck Catal Rhythm had…

Seeing how excited the two boys were, Kenji whispered to them to have fun and to not give away any sensitive information. With a nod, Kise and Takao grabbed who they could and made a mad dash to the stage.

When they were almost there, they had to show the security their tickets as proof. Getting past that obstacle, they bounced up on the stage and immediately froze when they saw the crowd.

It was like looking at the ocean at night, there was an endless sea of black with neon lights seeming to be floating around. All excitement was gone from Catal Rhythm and what left was nothing but stage fright.

"Hey, hey, are you alright?" Reiya said as he tapped Kise's shoulder since he was the closest.

Jerking out of his trance, he replied, "Yeah, just a little stage fright."

The others came back to as well, and nodded in agreement. Perfect 5th erupted with laughter and surrounded them.

"We know how it feels." Tobio said with a grin. "But need not fear, all you have to do is attribute familiar faces to the people in the crowd. I used to think that fans were my sister and mother." He then chuckled. "How else do you think I'm able to sing with such grins sometimes?"

"But of course, after you meet your fans and see their faces, it becomes much better and need not to do that." Akio piped in. "So relax, loosen up and enjoy this possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

After hearing those words of encouragement, Catal Rhythm felt much better, but their legs were still shaking.

"So, what do you want to do? Sing? Dance? Take a selfie with us?"

Before anyone could say anything, Kagami gave out, "Can we sing _and_ dance?"

"Eh?!"

"Come on, it's perfect." The redhead responded with an all too conspicuous wink at his teammates. Catching what Kagami meant, the others agreed, but deep down they hoped to God that they don't end up embarrassing themselves up there. Smartphones were videoing after all.

"Well, if you can handle it," Jun said. He had kept quiet all this time, standing beside Kuroko. "Which song would you like to sing and dance to?"

Catal Rhythm huddled up together and after a minute, Takao smiled and said, " _Last Romeo,_ "

"Alrighty~!" Tobio said as he turned towards the wings. "Let's get Last Romeo!"

"So you hear that folks?" Daigo said to the crowd. "These lucky fellas will both sing and dance to Last Romeo! Do you think they can do it?!"

A loud incoherent sound came from the audience, but from the ones up close, Perfect 5th and Catal Rhythm heard more negative response than positives. Still, the rookies were totally unperturbed about this. Being in basketball, they're used to moments when people thought they couldn't do anything. This was nothing new.

"Don't be like that guys, come on~" Tobio pouted. Kasamatsu twitched. Tobio reminded him of Kise too much. But his thoughts were disrupted when Reiya indicated that they should begin. Catal Rhythm were handed the mics and the boys took them with shaking hands.

"Remember, visualize faces. Keep calm. Have fun." Akio smiled as he gave them a push forwards. In the audience, Kenji nearly fainted. But he recognized that this may be a good chance to get them acquainted with performing in front of a crowd as they'll be doing this quite soon, quite often.

Catal Rhythm had gotten into their formation and music began to play. Kuroko was in the middle while the others stood around him in a circle. Then, when the drum began to sound, the other four bent while Kuroko danced.

The light-blue haired teen used intricate hand movements, and by the time he slid back a little, he got in line with Kagami and Kasamatsu. The three continued to dance, bringing their hands to their chest and made an 'X' after which they brought their hands to their sides. At this moment, Kise and Takao came up and stood.

However, less than a second later, everyone bent back down leaving Kise, Kuroko and Kagami. The three formed a diagonal from Kise in the front to Kagami in the back. Their arms held up above their heads. Bringing their hands down, they turned their bodies slightly facing the audience.

Kagami and Takao faced back-to-back at the front, while Kuroko and Kasamatsu were behind but further outwards. They faced each other. However, Kise was behind but he was blocked by the Kagami and Takao pair.

At the sound of the music, they dispersed outwards to reveal Kise, who had started singing.

_I don't care if it's poison,_

_I'll gladly take it,_

While facing outwards, after they kicked out with a leg and went into a fluid body roll, then slid into a new formation. At the front were Takao and Kuroko, with Kagami and Kasamatsu further outwards on their flanks. Kise was in the middle at the back. Dancing to the beat, Kise then moved up towards the front, and started singing.

Kise didn't join their dancing until a couple seconds after. While using one hand to hold the mic, he had one hand at his neck before he extended it upwards and out. That same hand, he then brought down towards his thighs and up to his chest in one swift move. Following this, he stretched out his hand towards the audience as though beckoning them, then he slid smoothly over to where Kuroko was and ended up switching places with him.

_No other temptation_

_Can be sweeter or stronger than you_

Kuroko sang this part as he entered the middle, Takao and Kise had turned to face him. Stretching out both hands in their directions, Kuroko seemed as though he had pushed the two boys back. But when he retracted his arms, they came towards him as though pulled. Due to this action, they were slightly bent down, and next, Kuroko was grabbing both their shirts and hauling them upwards. In the back, Kasamatsu and Kagami had also done this.

With a swift cross of his feet, Kuroko had released them but used that cross to turn his back; Takao and Kise were still bent so that the focus could be on Kuroko.

The light-blue haired teen then slid outwards to his left, Kise going to the right so that the focus could now be on Takao.

_The dazzling you swallows all the darkness of the world_

_And that light blinds me_

Takao sung this part but whilst he did so, the others who were hunched down due to the cross, overlapped their hands forming an 'X' for a brief moment, before rising upwards in a smooth fluid motion. Completely in an upright position, the other four then danced a few steps backward, getting closer to Takao.

_Any kind of darkness loses its strength in front of you_

_I only need you_

It was Kasamatsu's time to shine and as such, when Takao slid to his right to end up further outwards, Kasamatsu walked in between Kise and Kuroko to end up at the front. Moving his hand to the right in a sort of wiping motion, he brought his hand down stylishly while he sang and made his way a little bit further to the back. He turned sideways to the audience while pointing towards them.

While Kasamatsu was doing his dance, the others had done the same wiping move however, they were slightly bent down. Upon getting up, they glided both of their feet in an arc backwards after which Kuroko and Kise made their way to the front yet again, but only to the sides. They couldn't block Kasamatsu.

_Shine on my path,_

_Whether I want it or not,_

_The decision has been made_

_I will put everything at risk,_

_I will protect you no matter what hardships come,_

_I can't see anything else but you_

This was the chorus in which they all sang in perfect harmony and melody. Flowing in from their previous move, they were bent over with their arms spread outwards like wings; one leg crossed over the next. Making just a step to their right, they did a series of hand movements which entailed bringing their arms up and over their heads and outward stretches and such.

Getting into a tighter formation, with their free hand they made whip like movements while swinging their hips along with it, looking extremely sassy. They were inwardly embarrassed but due to them being so engrossed in the song, it didn't show on their faces.

Continuing on that, their hands went upwards and out like what Kasamatsu had did earlier on. They then brought their hands down to their heads and wrapped them around. At every beat of the drum, they brought their knees upwards almost to their stomachs which were followed by three graceful leg sweeps.

They walked forwards while pointing directly at the audience before bringing a hand up to their face for a brief moment and looked in Kagami's direction. This was the "point dance".

_I push myself into the broken music_

_In the bleakness of a tragedy_

_A creaking prelude of love_

_I'm gonna lose myself_

Kagami rapped this part with finesse, rolling his shoulders as he did so. While he was rapping and dancing, Takao had slid his way up to front, while they repeated the dance that they just did.

_I can't see anything else but you_

This was sung by Takao before Kagami came in once again.

_That Was Sweet Start,_

_I don't know how to stop,_

However, at this point, Daigo came in and stood beside Kagami and rapped along with the boy and followed the dance. Strangely, Kagami was not at all perturbed, as he, like the rest of them, were actually dancing their hearts out.

The audience had long been enraptured with Catal Rhythm, and with the addition of Daigo, stirred them up even more. Furthermore, Perfect 5th, who were standing close to the wings couldn't hold in their excitement any longer which was why Daigo ended up joining in. Soon the others followed suit as well, and now there were ten males dancing and singing on the stage.

… _an illusion that I'm sure of, you and I_

_Got The Top of The Emotion_

The two rappers were frighteningly in sync, which stunned everyone. Even Kenji in the crowd had tears flowing down his face. The moment his boys were called up on stage, he had whipped out his phone and was videoing.

But even though the audience was roaring with excitement, Catal Rhythm were on the stage struggling. The moment Perfect 5th stepped in and started dancing with them, they felt as though they were in a tornado, threatened to be swallowed up. The professionals were definitely in a league of their own, and not even in the match against Touou or Rakuzan had Kagami and Kuroko felt like this.

It was thanks to those experiences that saved their hides on this stage.

As the song progressed further, while their voices had mixed and melded with each other beautifully, the crowd could only see Perfect 5th. Kenji noticed it as well, the idols seemed like towering giants (as they had more presence) compared to Catal Rhythm, but that was to be expected. But just as he was about to write them off as needing more practice, both he and the audience noticed something.

Kasamatsu was _there._

It wasn't that he was unnoticeable, they've been watching him (and the others ever since they started). But currently, he was matching up to Perfect 5th's Reiya, whom he was dancing with. And Kenji knew that the others were coming. And so it was.

Kuroko and Kise, with their ingrained habit from Teikou, didn't back down. Kuroko danced with precision and perfect synchronization with Jun, leaving the older male a bit stunned. Kise's vocals shook Tobio and almost force the guy to try and harmonize with Kise instead of the other way around.

Not liking how everyone was leaving them in their dust, Takao upped his game, so too did Kagami who wore a malicious grin. His red eyes were blazing, reminiscent of when he was playing Aomine in Winter Cup.

So, instead of feeling like they were in a tornado, Catal Rhythm now felt like they were moving a mountain out of their way. This competitive and 'need to conquer' nature of Catal Rhythm was astounding.

Perfect 5th was shocked at this as well, and for the rest of the song, felt as though they were locked in a battle of dominance. Seeing this unfolding before their eyes, the crowd was nearly in hysterics.

"Show them who's sassy, Kise-kun!"

"Go Jun-sama!"

"Rei-Rei-chan!"

"Serenade me, Kise-kun, T-chan!"

_I'll be the last man_

_To fight against the world over one love_

Kasamatsu and Reiya sung this part, and they sounded beautiful. Here, the music had softened to a piano, which allowed the audience to hear their voices better and perhaps clearer. The two boys walked up to the front from the back, while the others were frozen in their positions ―Kise and Tobio was in the middle facing their right, Kuroko and Jun were further to the sides and faced their right as well, Takao and Akio, Kagami and Daigo were facing forward at the far left and right.

_I can face any kind of threat for you_

_I only need you_

Both Kuroko and Jun sang this part as everyone changed their positions. With fluid hand movements and gracious footwork the ten boys danced and when the chorus came in once again, instead of like previously where they were bent over and spread out their arms, the ten boys made a 'V' formation, and continued dancing with flair.

By the time the song finished, everyone was in shock. Catal Rhythm desperately panted for air, while Perfect 5th only seemed to be breathing a little bit more rapidly.

"You guys, you know, Aihara Productions has their first out of four auditions in the second week of January. You guys should really try it out." Reiya said convincingly.

"You lot can move!" Tobio chimed in. "And you…!" he said while pointing to Kise. "…got some great vocals! I can tell that if you become an idol, you'll definitely be a main vocalist!"

"Thanks," was all Kise could utter. He was a main vocalist after all.

They continued to chat for a minute or two more, until Perfect 5th decided that it was time for the other lucky set of fans to come up on stage. But after that performance, the other five that came up only took selfies with the group.

And so, the concert continued for another two and a half hours, Perfect 5th driving their fans crazy.

_xxxx_

"I can't believe I got to perform with Perfect 5th!" Takao squealed in delight.

"Kyaa! Me neither!" Kise agreed with an even louder screech. The other three wondered where they got their energy from as they were still a bit beat.

They had returned to Kenji's office not too long ago, and their manager was actually in great spirits. He had intended for them watch and learn and feel what an idol performance was like, but things actually took a turn for the better. Having them perform with actual idols in front of a huge crowd such as that is a fantastic learning experience.

"So, what have you learnt today?" Kenji asked.

"That if we're going to take over the world, we need to revisit our modus operandi." Takao said in seriousness. "If we can't outclass a pro, we can't achieve world domination."

"That's right," the others nodded in agreement.

Kenji was stumped. World Domination? What are his boys talking about? He knew they wanted to be the best in Japan, but this world domination was creeping him out. Especially with those sinister facial expressions of theirs.

"I-I see." He said.

"Also, I learnt that Perfect 5th is so awesome that fans behave possessed." Kagami said.

"Idols don't just sing, they project their emotions and connect with the audience. That's why were able to "feel" them even though we were so far back." Kasamatsu said.

"Correct, Kasamatsu-kun. That was the very reason why I chose those seats. If Idols only sang to those at the front, then there's no way concerts held at places like the Tokyo Dome will be sold out." Kenji said. "So, you know what that means come February…"

"Oh yes! We're going to bring the house down!" Kise and Kagami said.

"Good boys. And make sure to blow the roof upwards." Kenji said with a grin. Hearing this statement, Catal Rhythm got even more fired up.

Just then Kise let out a groan. "I just realized that a video of our performance with Perfect 5th is going to be uploaded by a couple people. I'm so dead."

"Oh shit." The others said and proceeded to groan in agony when realization struck them.

"Look on the bright side, school closes in a week. We just have to survive until then, right?" Kuroko said.

"I won't be going. I'll fake an illness." Kasamatsu said. "I don't want to be attacked."

As if coming to a consensus, the others agreed that that strategy is what they'll use to escape the oncoming questions from their schoolmates.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	12. Pre-debut

 

After their concert in the Tokyo Dome, Perfect 5th returned to their house to relax. Performing for three hours straight was really exhausting; no matter how many times they did it. But, there was one thing that lingered on their minds ―the "amateurs" that sang and danced with them.

Deep down, they had a feeling that these boys were trainees or some experienced dancers as they way they moved was way too perfect. And their vocals as well, they were pretty outstanding.

"Hey, do you think they're professional dancers or something?" Jun asked. "The one in the white cap moved like a natural. He scared me at one point, you know?"

"I beg to differ." Tobio replied. "It's the blond one! It's his high notes that you should fear. Imagine, _I_ had to harmonize with him and it's _our_ song!"

"Ah, I think his name is Kise Ryouta." Reiya said with a nod.

"You know him?!" the others asked.

"Nope." Reiya waved his hand dismissively. "He's a model, so you'll see that pretty face plastered everywhere." He shrugged. "You can't miss it."

"Shit, good looking, good at singing and dancing." Tobio laughed. "I bet he's the envy of every boy at school."

"I know right!?" Daigo said with a chuckle. "But I'm surprised that Ai-Prez hasn't snatched them up yet. I'm pretty sure that a video of all ten of us dancing will be posted by a fan."

"It's already up." Akio joined in. He was looking down on his phone. "You don't want to see these comments."

"What do they say?"

"Well, they're all positive comments…" he trailed off. "…so far. One person said this: _'They're amazing. Maybe Perfect 5_ _th_ _should become a ten member group!"_

"Ten member? Ai-Prez would never do something like that." Jun said. "That's just a pipe dream."

"Here's another: _'Who are these guys? They should become idol trainees!'"_

"I agree. I like to see talent being put to good use." Daigo said.

Just then, there was a knock on their front door. Too lazy to get up, they only shouted that it was unlocked. When the person entered, all eyebrows rose.

"Ai-Prez!?" they screeched.

"What are you doing here?" Daigo asked.

"I came to say what a splendid job you did today." The elder man said.

"Or you came to ask us about the five boys that performed with us?" Akio looked smug. This was a tendency of their boss that was no secret.

"Oh no," Aihara said with a chuckled. "I know them. They're Kenji's boys."

A dead silence enveloped the room. Perfect 5th looked at each other with horror.

"Ai-Ken's boys? What?" Akio gasped.

"So, they _are_ trainees." Jun nodded. He seemed to be quite satisfied.

"Yes they are, and will début at the festival."

"EH?!" all five screeched.

"I thought it was only D:FI and the other group ―Trilogy was it?" Reiya said. "Where did they come from then?"

President Aihara looked distant. "I wonder indeed."

_xxxx_

Having one week of school left, Catal Rhythm never went. Knowing their sons' new venture and after hearing what happened, their parents understood their plight. Still, that didn't mean they were free from the barrage of questions.

In Takao's case, his phone incessantly, both messages and missed calls. Various videos of their performance had been uploaded, some were focusing on Kise (since he was the famous one of their group) and others were simply from different angles.

Even Midorima had managed to see it and was shocked out of his wits. It wasn't because of Takao; it was the fact that _Kagami, Kuroko and Kasamatsu_ were in it as well. He could have understood if it was just Kise and Takao but those three were the last to have crossed his mind when doing something like this.

While being a captain would need maturity, Kagami was too engrossed with basketball to even think of doing anything besides the sport and Kuroko…he was in a league of his own.

So when the other members of Shutoku saw the video, they came up and asked him if he had known anything about it, he was just as stumped as everyone else.

"Didn't Takao say that he was becoming an idol?" Yuya asked, he was Miyaji's younger brother. "Seeing this, I can only believe that what he said was true."

"Hmm…Takao as an idol…" Otsubo said in thought, "I think he'd be able to pull it off, given his personality and all."

Once again, Midorima tried to call Takao's phone but to no avail. He began to wonder if Takao was ignoring him. But as soon as the thought appeared, it disappeared, there's no way Takao would do that. Would he? He tried Kise next, and surprisingly the blond answered with a perk.

" _What's up Midorimacchi!?"_

"What's with that video?" he asked swiftly. He wasn't going to beat around the bush.

" _Video?"_ Kise asked at first but quickly picked up on what Midorima was getting at. _"Oh that."_

"Yes, _that_. I can't understand."

" _What's there to understand? We went to a Perfect 5_ _th_ _concert, was lucky enough to get called up on stage and we sang and danced. What's the problem?"_

"The problem is…forget it." Midorima said as he hung up the phone. Kise was actually right, what was the problem? After he hung up the phone, he wondered to himself, how come Akashi hasn't called him yet? He's pretty sure that the redhead must have gotten wind of this.

Unlike Shutoku, Kaijou was in an uproar.

Kise's numerous fangirls were now adamant that the blond ace was actually _Sunn,_ while those of Perfect 5th were shocked upon seeing two students from their school perform so well with professionals. No one expected _Kasamatsu_ to move like that, and a couple found it funny when they watched it the second time. Especially his classmates.

Seeing the usually serious male move like that was indeed something to laugh about after they've gotten over their shock. As such, at the end of the school day, the gym was attacked with students who wanted to confront both Kise and Kasamatsu. However, these students weren't classmates of the two, so they had no idea that they weren't at school.

Takeuchi was especially enraged by this, as if dealing with Kise's fangirls aren't enough.

"To think that this much "fans" are here just because of a video. Imagine when they reveal their identities." Nakamura said as he took pictures of the crowd that was threatening to invade the gym. "I have to show Kasamatsu the kind of mess he's gotten himself into."

Beside him, Moriyama looked as though he wanted to tear up. "I should have become an idol as well."

The other regulars looked at him with unreadable expressions. "No."

Seirin High had the most normal reaction, since Kuroko's face wasn't seen that easily due to the white cap. What really stunned them was Kagami, but they had soon blow it off and focused on Kise.

But the basketball club was erupting with laughter. At first, they were shocked at their performance, but afterwards, seeing how Kagami moved cracked them up. Kuroko had already informed them that both he and Kagami won't be returning to school for this week due to the fear of harassment. Riko and the others understood, but she swore to herself to have them do the amount of training they missed.

Meanwhile the schools were frenzied; Kenji once again met with Catal Rhythm's parents to further explain their living arrangements now that they're débuting. Although Hikaru knew what being an idol entailed, he was present. That said, the meeting went smoothly; Ryouhei, Kazuo (Takao's father) and Mitsurou (Kasamatsu's father) were less aggressive and agitated than they were the first time they've met.

However, Ryouhei was almost in tears when he heard that his son was going to be living away from home. Looking at the man, the other parents wondered about the kind of relationship he had with Kise. But they simply disregarded it as simply being parental affection.

"So when they'll move in?" Kazuo asked.

"I was thinking after Christmas. I'm sure you'll want to spend the holidays with your children." Kenji responded.

"And New Year's too." Ryouhei chimed in. "It's a Kise tradition."

"How greedy can you be? They can spend New Year's with each other." Mitsurou said.

"But I want to spend the holidays with my ball of sunshine! I can't let him go yet!" Ryouhei countered. "I'm not greedy either."

"Of course you are. Your son was bound to leave your house one way or the other." Kazuo shrugged.

Kenji could only sit and watch the other parents with amusement. Their interactions were somewhat reminiscent of their sons, and he was relieved to see this. He continued to watch them, and there were times when Hikaru would chime in with his deadpan expression and blunt replies which would set off the others.

 _How amusing,_ Kenji thought with a smile.

_xxxx_

By the time the weekend came around, the boys met Kenji at the Complex as he was going to show them their new house. They were excited and while Kagami voiced that he would want to share a room with Kuroko and not with Kise, Takao got up and shouted with too much seriousness:

"I want a room that's big enough for all five of us!"

"Takao, that's a bit exaggerated. Five boys in a single room? That's disturbing." Kasamatsu said.

"Come on guys, I want to get to know you all! Unlike you, I don't have anyone from my school here with me! There's no need for Tai-chan to share a room with Tetsu-chan, same with Yu-chan and Ryou-chan!"

"Takao-kun is right," Kenji said as he stopped at a stoplight. "Since you are the extras, your apartment was chosen last after the other débuting groups chose theirs."

"Man, I hope we don't get to live in a basement." Kagami sighed.

"Or some dingy apartment that can hardly even hold one person." Kise huffed. "I like my kitchen space, you know?"

Kasamatsu and Kuroko didn't comment but they both agreed with what the others said. After a couple turns and going through a few stoplights, Catal Rhythm had reached their destination.

It was an apartment complex which sits along the main road and boasts a total of six floors (minus the ground floor). It was painted in a rich metallic colour, making it stand out among the other buildings.

"Don't tell me that's where we're going to be living?" Kise asked as he gaped outside.

Kenji smirked, although the boys couldn't see it. "Yes."

"Isn't it a bit too stylish? I mean, débuting groups tend to live in ordinary apartments, don't they?" Takao asked.

"Yeah, that's if these groups aren't a part of our company. That building is owned by us." Kenji replied. He drove into the underground parking, searching for a space. "My Dad isn't an idiot."

"So the entire building is owned by Aihara? Then does that mean only idols live here?" Kagami asked.

"No, anyone can live here. However, the third floor is strictly for our employees ―idols and their managers, actors and actresses, etc."

"Oh." The five gave out.

By now, Kenji had parked and the six headed towards the elevator. No one spoke and for once, Kise and Takao weren't agitated idiots. By the time Kenji reached the door, he whipped out a key to gain access. The boys exchanged glances as never before had they seen or heard of an elevator which needed a key to open.

As if being able to read their minds, Kenji said, "Since we have idols living here, you must know that there are some crazy fans out there. So to prevent them from gaining access to the building from here, tenants have to have a key to this door." He then added, "At first it was code used, but somehow fans got it and entered the building. After that, Dad decided to use keys instead."

"But can't these crazy fans pick the lock?" Kise asked.

"The alarm will go off." He deadpanned. Entering the elevator, Kenji pressed the button for the third floor, and within a blink they had arrived.

The elevator door opened up to reveal a spacious hallway of smooth blue walls and white doors with sparkling tiles. Kenji walked towards the end of the hallway without a second glance at the other doors, humming as he went along. He then stopped at number 306, which was the last door on the left of the hallway.

"And here we are." Kenji said as he opened the door. After the boys left their shoes at the genkan, they were staring directly at the living area. There was a sofa to the wall, with an oval shaped medium-sized wooden table in front. On the wall facing it was the TV.

As they made their way further inwards, to their left was the kitchen. It was "L" shaped with an island bench and four wooden stools. Following the kitchen was a hallway with three doors. When Kasamatsu opened the first door, he saw that it was their bedroom.

He froze momentarily.

The room was quite large, very spacious. In his mind, he'd imagine it to be a small space but his imagination was quite wrong. To the left and right, there were two bunk beds, with a single bed in between. On the right wall, however, there was a closet and clothes storage. But before Kenji could say anything to them, he saw Kagami, Kise and Takao dash off towards the bed.

"You fiends!" Kise shrieked. "It's mine!"

"No way! I want the single bed!" Kagami roared.

"Are you nuts?! I saw it first! It's mine!" Takao shouted.

And somehow, they managed to get into a nasty entanglement with each other, Kasamatsu standing a far off and watched them with their antics. When he couldn't take anymore, with vicious kicks, the captain sent them flying.

"We will do this fairly." Kasamatsu said in a serious voice. "We'll use janken. That way, no can complain about their beds, right?"

"So we'll start with the bunk in the left. The first two to lose will be there." Kuroko added.

The other four nodded in agreement.

Gathering around, they extended their arms in preparation. After saying 'rock-paper-scissors', everyone made their choice. Everyone had paper except Kise who had rock. The blond howled with grief. The next one to lose was Kagami, who was, just like Kise, upset that they didn't get the single bed. But, moreover, he was upset that he was sharing a bunk with that annoying blond.

By the time their game of janken ended after couple rounds, the arrangement ended up being Kise and Kagami on the bunk to the left, Kuroko on the single bed and Kasamatsu and Takao on the bunk to the right. That said, all four boys swore their revenge on the shadow. But it was still surprising that Kuroko won, since Kagami and Kise knew he sucked at it.

"I like that the room is spacey, but we're too far from each other." Takao said. Unlike the other four who knew each other well, he didn't. "How about we push the beds closer together?"

"I'm on the bottom bunk! I don't want to feel caged!" Kagami roared.

"That's true." Kuroko agreed; even though he wasn't on a bunk, he understood.

"Then, how about we move Kise and Kagami's bunk over to that window?" Kasamatsu asked, pointing to the left wall. "Then, we can move Kuroko's bed and place it horizontal where the top of the bunk is. After, we just move my and Takao's bunk and place it like Kise's. There'll still be walking space and we'll be close to each other."

"Great!" Takao perked. "Let's get moving!"

"Hold on." Kise said, his voice all its usual perk and chirpiness. As a matter of fact, the blond was far too serious at this moment. "The place is dusty and needs to be cleaned."

"Well, we still need to move the beds and stuff, right?" Kagami asked.

Kise nod his head, but gave the redhead a pitiful look. "We have to start from the front. Where the shoe storage is."

"What?!" the others screeched.

Kise gasped in horror. "How could you not notice the amount of dust?! From I entered I could tell that the place was dusty because of the smell!"

"Well, excuse us for being caught up at the beautiful sight that is our kitchen and living room." Kuroko said with an eye roll.

Kise stood in shock. Acting lessons are really paying off. _This boy is getting feisty,_ Kise thought.

"Ano," Kenji said to regain their attention. "There are other rooms left."

"Right…"

With that, the boys left the bedroom and looked in the next room. It was yet another spacious room and the five couldn't help but wonder the reason for this. There were only five of them and they were all in the same room.

"In the distant past, we had débuted an eight member group. This is the reason why your room is so large and why there are two rooms here."

"So, we have an extra room to do what we want, great." Kasamatsu grinned. He was actually thinking of playing his guitar in here.

"Basically." Kenji said with a nod. He then showed them the bathroom, which was a (normal) modern bathroom. However, one thing made Kise smile ―the size of the mirror. He was especially pleased.

After a couple minutes, the tour of their house was completed and they exited. However, upon entering the hallway and reaching door 303, they heard boisterous chatter.

"Tobi! I'm going to kill you!" a deep voice shouted. "How could you eat my ice-cream?!"

"Get away from me, you ape! How was I supposed to know it was yours!? You didn't say anything!" a shrill voice shrieked. Catal Rhythm assumed this to be 'Tobi'. After that, they heard metal clattering, and things falling to the floor and thundering footsteps.

"You dogs! Watch what you're doing! I'm a delicate male flower!" Another voice rang out.

"Delicate my ass! Now get out of my way!"

However, a loud crash could be heard before it gave way to silence. Kenji let out a sigh and pulled his boys backwards from the door. As if on cue, the door opened and Reiya emerged. He held both Daigo and Tobio in the collars, hauling them on the floor after which he threw them out.

"You know the goddamn drill." He spat before slamming the door shut.

"What happened?" Kenji asked. Daigo and Tobio hadn't seen him.

"It's all his fault!" Daigo and Tobio shouted while pointing at each other. "How's it my fault?!" Their anger rose. "Of course it's your fault!"

Seeing this Catal Rhythm were stunned. Perfect 5th were hailed as the Kings of Synchronization, it was appalling how they lived up to their name even when at home.

"This bastard ate my ice-cream!" Daigo roared.

"I didn't know it was yours!" Tobio countered.

"If you don't know if something belongs to someone, you don't freakin' eat it! It's common sense!"

"I was hungry!"

"Then go to the convenience store or supermarket to buy something!"

"I was too tired!"

"You shit! You go to sleep first, then!"

"I was scared that I'll die in my sleep!"

"We have woken you up if we saw that you were having spasms!"

This was not funny. Catal Rhythm stared on with confused faces. Both Daigo and Tobio seemed to be arguing, but it was on a different level. But looking at Kenji, he seemed undisturbed, like this was a normal occurrence.

"Well, sorry to hear about your loss, Daigo-kun." Kenji said. He then walked up to the door and knocked, calling Reiya. A minute later the door opened, and a smile graced the Leader's face.

"Could you let them in? There was a grave misunderstanding. They've even made up." Kenji said. Meanwhile, Daigo and Tobio were nodding fervently behind.

With a sigh, Reiya gave in. "Make sure, because if you make our plates break again, you'll be sleeping out here."

"Sir, yes Sir!" the two replied. When they headed in, Tobio turned around and faced Catal Rhythm,

"We need to talk." Before waving his goodbye and closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, Kenji turned to his five boys and said, "Let's go, you have rehearsals." Catal Rhythm let out a groan, totally forgetting about Tobio's message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	13. Aihara Music Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Song used** : D:FI -Monsta X "Trespass".  
>  **For full dance** : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ByXsw7gWLo
> 
> Amari - the one with the short-cut light brown hair (Kihyun)  
> Hirose - the one in the red pants (Jooheon)
> 
>  **For music video** : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLeFYKDtw1I

 

A loud ringing echoed in the early morning, disturbing a sleeping Kagami Taiga. With a painful groan, Kagami stretched towards the bedside table where the phone was. Holding it to his face, he saw that it was an incoming call. And the caller was damn persistent. Receiving the call, he heard a screech that nearly made him look twice to see if it was actually Kise that called.

" _Taiga! I'm wondering if my eyes are deceiving me!"_

"Hnn…?" Kagami gave out; the sleepiness was evident in his voice. On this particular morning, he was brutally woken out of his sleep by his friend from America ―Himuro Tatsuya. "Good morning to you too." He groaned out.

" _Don't try to change the subject!"_ He screeched into the phone.

"Wait, we were talking about something?" He droned. "I don't remember."

" _There's a video posted on YouTube! With you, Kuroko, Kise, Kasamatsu and Takao singing and dancing perfectly on stage! Since when could you move like that?!"_

"Since I became an idol trainee." Kagami deadpanned. He was too much like Kuroko in this aspect. But the main reason was that after they viewed their apartment, Hikaru drilled them in their rehearsals. Kagami's entire body was sore at the moment. What made it worst, Hikaru had seen the video of them performing with Perfect 5th and had gotten emotional (well, as emotional as a Kuroko could get).

Tatsuya let out a startled gasp. _"Idol trainee? You? What!?"_ In his shock, he actually spoke in English. _"Tell me everything!"_

"Tatsuya, it's early in the morning, can you call back later? I'm really tired from rehearsals, you know?"

" _It's not early! It's after ten!"_ But he paused as he understood that Kagami may be tired. _"But I have to ask, rehearsals for what?"_

"We're débuting. All five of us. February, Aihara Festival."

" _EH?!"_

"Good morning Tatsuya." Kagami said as he hung up the phone. This time, he turned off the device, and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya was frozen with shock. Murasakibara, who was beside him, heard the conversation (well, Tatsuya's half) and although he didn't show it, he was surprised as well. He hadn't seen the video as yet, but he was curious. The two boys were simply out shopping.

"Muro-chin, which video is that?" the purple-haired giant asked, taking Tatsuya out of his thoughts.

"I'll show you." He replied. After fiddling with his phone, he found the video and showed it to the centre. From the moment the video began, Murasakibara was unable to continue munching on his snacks. As a matter of fact, his snack-bag had fallen to the ground. And like Midorima, while he was shocked to see Kise and Takao, this behaviour was within expectation. The persons who shocked him the most were Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu.

"Muro-chin, this isn't photoshopped?"

Tatsuya laughed. "I wish. But Taiga verified it."

"Really?" For once, Murasakibara's voice lost its usual drawl.

"Yeah," Tatsuya nodded. "Apparently, they're idol trainees."

Murasakibara gaped in shock.

_xxxx_

"Dai-chan! Stop the moping!" Momoi said as she nudged her friend in his sides mischievously.

"Whatever." Aomine grumbled. "Can we just get what we need and leave?"

"Don't be such a grouch." She pouted. "I need to be careful in my selection." The two were currently looking at female sneakers and had been on a hunt for the perfect pair for quite some time. To Aomine, he felt that this was useless, since Momoi didn't play any sport; she only wanted the sneakers to go to a concert all the way in February.

"Man, we've been searching for hours, can't you just pick one already?" Aomine asked, he sounded irritated. "I'm getting hungry."

"I can't just grab _any one_! I need a sturdy one!"

"Sturdy? Aren't you just going to be sitting or standing at whatever concert it is? Why do you need sturdy sneakers?"

Momoi sighed and shook her head. "It's not just _any_ concert. It's the Ai-Fest! It's the only place where I can see my favourite idols for a price that a school-girl like me can afford! I'm going to be jumping and moving all over! I can't have my sneakers worn out before I leave the venue."

"Ai-Fest?"

"Short for Aihara Music Festival, and it's the same one that you didn't accompany me to earlier this year!" she humphed. "I'm still upset!"

"Well, jeez, you know what had happened during that time. It's not my fault."

"Which means, you'll be coming with me this time!"

Aomine paled. This was not his cup of tea. And he knew that Momoi knew this as well. He stared at her with an intense gaze, but she looked back at him with just as much intensity. He knew she wasn't wavering, not this time around.

With a defeated sigh, he said, "So when do tickets go on sale?"

"January first. And it's first-come, first-serve." She said as though warning him.

"So where do we actually buy these tickets? Online?"

"Of course,"

"Then how we'll get them? In the mail?" Aomine has never purchased tickets to a concert before, so he was clueless.

"We can use the 'print at home' option. If we buy the VIP package then that'll come in the mail with other things."

Aomine snorted. "As if we have money for that."

"Well, VIP packages for the Ai-Fest are considerably cheaper than concerts that are held elsewhere. That's why every year Ai-Fest is sold out."

"Shit. Then, we only have one shot at this madness? Don't drag me into it!"

"Don't be like that Dai-chan." Momoi said. "We'll get tickets. Don't worry," she then changed the subject. "I was hoping that we all could attend together. You know; you, me, Midorin, Mukkun, Tetsu-kun, Ki-chan, Kagamin and Akashi-kun. And if possible, we could invite our teams as well. It'll be fun, won't it?"

"As long as we can go for basketball afterwards." Aomine said.

"Then, it's settled!" she perked. "Let me tell the others!"

"Look for your sneakers first!"

After a couple more minutes of shopping, Momoi finally purchased a pair. Then, they headed to a nearby Maji's to get something to eat. Aomine was quite content with this, but the moment Momoi sat down; she heard a 'ping' from her phone. Looking at the screen, she saw that it was a notification from a social media site.

"Hmm, I wonder what it is about?" she mumbled. Aomine was too engrossed in his food to notice. However, when she opened it, she saw that someone commented on a video that was shared.

Pressing on the link, she was redirected to YouTube and the video. What she saw left her speechless. There on the stage was Perfect 5th; talking about offering ten lucky fans a chance to come up on stage. The first five shocked her. She would have never thought that Kagami, Kuroko and Kasamatsu were fans of Perfect 5th, especially Kagami. Kise and Takao were within expectations.

Furthermore, as the video continued, her eyes nearly dropped out of her sockets. The five basketball players moved and sounded like _idols_. They were moving perfectly and singing with great vocals.

Aomine, who was eating, had heard the audio from the phone. "Who's that? They're not bad."

But he was ignored since Momoi was too engrossed in the video. When she reached the part where Catal Rhythm and Perfect 5th were performing together, she was dumbfounded. How could these boys move like naturals? This was Perfect 5th's song; most of their routines are known to be perfectly in sync with the music and beat and each other; how was it that they are able to perform it? How many hours and days of practice did it take to get to such level of perfection?

"Dai-chan…" she said in awe.

"What? You ignored me the first time when I said something, you know?" he said with a mouthful of food.

"No, look at this…" she then shoved the phone to him and he pressed the play icon. Aomine choked on his food. Not even finishing the video, he whipped out his phone to call Kagami (yes, they had each other's numbers) but sadly, it was going directly to voicemail. With a curse, he tried Kuroko's phone, but like Kagami, he wasn't getting an answer. Reaching his wits end, he called Kise and luckily, the blond answered. However, it was clear that he was sleepy and not thinking straight.

All Aomine heard were incoherent blabbers after which loud snoring assaulted his ears.

"Calm down, Dai-chan," Momoi said. "Leave it to me and Akashi-kun." She smirked.

_xxxx_

Before Catal Rhythm realized, the weeks had run off quite quickly.

During the holidays, when they weren't rehearsing, or learning song composition or brushing up on whatever skills, they were hanging out with their teammates (in Kise's going to his modelling work). Takao was attacked by Shutoku the moment they saw him, and he had admitted (more like rubbed it in their faces) that he was an idol trainee. The team congratulated him and even Midorima, being his usual tsundere self, encouraged the boy in the most round-a-bout way.

Seirin and Kaijou hung out together most of the time, laughing and teasing their four soon-to-be-idols teammates. The two teams even helped out the boys when they were rehearsing, and met Kenji and Hikaru numerous amounts of times.

Amidst all this, they were questioned by the rest of the Miracles when they had managed to meet up. But with Akashi and Momoi present, they couldn't leave unscathed. Knowing that Catal Rhythm may deny any fact or try to weasel their way out, Akashi devised a plan. They were to play basketball, and each time the Miracles gained a point, Catal Rhythm would have to answer a question truthfully. Akashi dubbed the game: _"Truth or Dare: Basketball style"._ Of course, the dares Catal Rhythm faced would still have them spilling the truth either way.

It was fun, but Catal Rhythm suffered sometimes. Kise and Kagami were lifesavers, Kuroko too, but the Miracles were vicious. And seeing that they had wanted answers, they were even more ruthless.

"So, you really are idol trainees." Momoi said. "Is that why you got called up on the stage?" she asked after.

"Nope." The five gave out. "We got lucky."

"We went to the concert to learn a few things," Kasamatsu said. He then shot a glare at Kise and Takao, "Unlike two fanboys I know."

"Come on, Senpai! We got to see Perfect 5th! Who wouldn't lose it?!" Kise countered.

"Yeah!" Takao agreed. Kasamatsu sighed. He'll be living with the two of them soon and he doubts that he'll be able to manage their craziness.

"I see." Midorima piped in, to bring the conversation back to the subject. "But what I can't understand is that three of you are doing this kind of thing." He said while looking at Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu. "Kagami is a basketball idiot; Kasamatsu-san is a captain. While he exudes a level of maturity that's highly commendable, this sort of thing left me shocked."

Everyone stared at Midorima.

"Uh, thanks…?" Kasamatsu said, not knowing how to reply. "My hobby is music, so I ended up getting roped in without realizing it."

"Roped in?"

"It's a long story." The five gave out.

Akashi smirked. "We're on holiday; we've got plenty of time."

_xxxx_

After Christmas, the boys had moved in their dorm; Takao's younger sister ―Kazue hurried him off although she was going to miss her brother once he was gone. Whilst they had their typical sibling quarrels and fights, the two were somewhat inseparable and add to that, they looked frighteningly alike.

Mikio was sad upon hearing of his brother's abrupt departure and as such played as much basketball with the older teen as much as possible. Mitsuo occasionally joined in. But even so, the younger brothers of Kasamatsu weren't all too happy being that their brother was leaving them. They knew it would eventually happen, but not so soon.

That said, when it was actually time for Kasamatsu to leave, the two boys clung onto him and refused to let go. It was when Kasamatsu promised to visit them once he got the time that really calmed them down.

When all five boys were finally at their home, a cleaning operation began. They hadn't unpacked, but instead suited up in thick gloves, dusk masks and wielded mops and brooms. They turned the place upside down, moving everything that could and in Kise's case, he left no stone unturned. It was then that the others found out that Kise was an annoying cleaning machine. At one point, Takao felt that Kise was similar to a fictional character and as such, he thought they should spice up their cleaning. He and the others schemed up to play with Kise.

While Takao was busy with one room, Kise had entered on a prompt from Kasamatsu who he was with.

"Levi-Heichou," Takao said in a low voice. Only Kuroko who was in the corner that held the camera could hear. "I'm finished cleaning. Is this okay?" He continued but said this in a louder voice. But the fact was, he wasn't finished, he just wanted to see the blond's reaction. There were still dust in parts of the room and Kise didn't miss it.

He walked into the room and swiped two fingers on the wall. With a twisted face, the blond said in a cold tone, "You can't be serious? Redo the whole thing." Before spinning on his heel and heading out. Kuroko and Takao erupted with laughter when the blond left.

But, their cleaning went on smoothly for the most part. When they were in the living room, Kise and Kagami were moving the TV and due to them arguing (over something petty) _again,_ they had almost broke it. Takao and Kasamatsu were fast enough and threw two cushions from the sofa on the floor to save it.

"If you idiots are going to break anything, don't do it while I'm here." Kasamatsu hissed angrily.

"Yes Sir!" they shouted out.

At the end of it all, their house was sparkling, but they were exhausted. Kenji came at a later time, commenting on the look of the place. He even stated that they could re-paint it if they wanted. That statement was greeted with a blank stare and a vicious "No."

They weren't about re-painting. It's too exhausting. Plus, the walls were already painted in a beautiful green colour.

After Catal Rhythm freshened up, they headed out with Kenji for lunch. At first, they were happy but after, they had to buy groceries. This led to another war in the supermarket. Thankfully, Kasamatsu was swift and he quelled the arguing boys (although he was arguing too). They calmed down and worked things out, and as such, grocery shopping ended in peace.

Kenji had decided he wasn't going to intervene since he was just an innocent bystander. After all, people were staring.

_xxxx_

The days and weeks continued to pass, and with it coming down to their début, Catal Rhythm was immersed in rehearsals and lessons. When it came onto their routines, Riko and Hyuuga somehow (without even realizing) became Hikaru's sadistic assistants, while the others became judges. While they knew nothing about music and choreography, the others only determined if they had enough energy and charm. Moriyama seemed to be an expert on this (especially the charm part) and gave them pointers; although if Kenji, Akamine or Ichinose weren't present, they wouldn't have taken him seriously.

There were also couple times when Amari and Hirose dropped in. With them being familiar with Catal Rhythm, they normally chat, but soon, they were introduced to Seirin and Kaijou and were shocked to hear that Catal Rhythm were basketball players. The two boys have always heard the group mention the sport, but thought that they did it in their pastime. Who would have thought that two of them were from a prodigious team, one defeated players from said team, and two were recognized point guards of high calibre?

"Well, shit." Amari and Hirose gave out in shock.

When January rolled around, everyone in the company were in high gear and it reminded Catal Rhythm of when the basketball season was starting. Everyone was making the finishing touches on their routines and getting their outfits done. On that note, Catal Rhythm met with Ruiko once again, and she designed some beautiful outfits which left the boys (minus Kise) in awe. Also, it was here that she solicited them for a photoshoot for her new designs. But thanks to Kenji's deal with _Image One,_ Catal Rhythm were always first choice for when Ruiko needed male models.

That said, Catal Rhythm headed to another photoshoot, but this time they were less nervous than before. Kise rocked his as always, but the others did their best which was no less than stunning.

When it was the end of January, the teams had all got together for Kuroko's surprise birthday. The day was a success, and everyone present had a good time, even Tatsuya and Alex were present. Kenji, Amari and Hirose tagged along as well, Perfect 5th were tempted to attend, but they had a fan meeting scheduled for that day.

Still, the day ended in success.

_xxxx_

February, 10, 2017

Long queues could be seen outside the Aihara Music Theatre, it was so much that lines had extended along the sidewalks. But this was nothing new to the staff that worked here. Every year they faced this, as a matter of fact, every time a concert was being held here, whether it was from the company or outside forces, there were staggering queue lines.

However, the idols inside the building had no idea what was happening outside. They were busy getting dressed and preparing for their performances, the débuting groups excited and overjoyed that finally, they were stepping out into the world as official idols.

"Alright boys, don't be nervous," Kenji started. "Go out there and do your best."

"Of course we will." Kuroko said with a small smile. "To be honest, if we hadn't performed with Perfect 5th at their concert, I think I'd be a mess right now."

The four nodded in agreement. Kenji sighed a relief. He had prepared a lengthy motivation speech for them, but it seemed that it wouldn't be necessary. But he was proud of them, in such a short space of time, they've evolved from simple high school basketball players to débuting idols. They've really come a far way.

Then a staff member entered the dressing room, and said, "Kenji-san, it's time."

"Well, boys, I'll see you on stage." He said with a grin. His five boys nodded as he exited. Kenji was dressed in a top-notch suit ―a dark blue blazer over a pink buttoned down shirt, tucked into white jeans pants. Kenji wore no tie; instead, he left a few buttons undone. On his wrist was a silver watch, and to complete the look, he wore fashion glasses.

His hair was well done as well, and at first, Catal Rhythm were shocked upon seeing their manager like this, as usually, he was in v-necks with jeans and sneakers.

By this time, the Theatre was packed with fans, many fan chants echoing inside. Seirin and Kaijou were already safely inside and had secured favourable spots. Catal Rhythm's parents and siblings were also in attendance. The Generation of Miracles were also in good seats due to Akashi getting them good tickets. Their teams had tagged along as well, so too Alex.

Kenji walked out onto the stage with his fellow co-host ―Kita Itsuki or Kit for short. Itsuki was dressed in a cream blazer jacket over a white and blue polka-dot shirt which was tucked into royal blue jeans. His belt and shoes matched the jacket.

"Welcome to Ai-Fest!" the two males said with enthusiasm. Immediately, the crowd erupted with cheers and the Theatre was enveloped in a deafening roar.

"I'm your loveable and oh-so dashing host, Kita Itsuki,"

"And I'm your other loveable and oh-so dashing host, Aihara Kenji,"

"Oh please," Itsuki said as he rolled his eyes jokingly. "It's obvious that I'm the more dashing one here."

"Really now?" Kenji said, catching on quickly. He then turned to the audience of 30,000. "Who's the most dashing here? Me or Kit-kun?"

"Whoever the mic is directed at, give your cheer!" Itsuki said, he pointed his mic at himself. The crowd let out a cheer. Itsuki smirked after which he pointed his mic at Kenji. The crowd screamed.

"The Audience just _love_ a man in pink, blue and white." Kenji said with suave.

"This is an outrage!" Itsuki said. "How could you all do this to me?!" he then pretended to cry.

"Well, as you all know, or should know," Kenji began, totally ignoring Itsuki. The other man immediately blurted out 'You meanie' at him. "We'll be débuting three male groups!" At that, the crowd screamed even more as if to signal their understanding. "But of course, all your favourite idols are ready to perform for you all! Perfect 5th is back from their tour; Triple Threat is here as well!"

"Sadly, _Diverse_ are in the middle of their U.S tour and are unable to be with us." Itsuki said with a somewhat sad tone to his voice. The crowd let out an 'Aww'. "But don't worry; they still have prepared something for their loyal fans!"

Yet again, the crowd cheered.

"So, without any further ado, let's begin the twelfth edition of Ai-Fest!" Kenji said.

"The first segment we have 'Ladies First' and you know who that'll entail!" Itsuki said, his enthusiasm was spreading and infecting the audience. "Give it up for Triple Threat!"

Hearing the loud roar, the three females walked majestically onto the stage.

Back in the dressing rooms, Catal Rhythm were watching the events unfold on the TV present. And as usual, Kise and Takao were the most giddy-headed. Kagami rolled his eyes at their antics, Kasamatsu was busy on his phone, and Kuroko was reading a novel.

Triple Threat performed a total of five songs, but had a 'Selfie with the Idol' section after their performed their third song. Lucky fans who managed to get called up would be able to take selfies with all of Triple Threat or their favourite member only.

Kise and Takao were heartbroken at this, and nearly tore up.

"Damn! Those lucky bastards!" Kise swore, with tears running down his face. "I want to take a selfie with Hina-chan!"

"No way! Sayo-chan is prettier! I'd kill to have _her_ selfie on my phone."

Kise's face darkened. "What did you say?"

"Oh, you heard me."

Kasamatsu, without even looking up from his phone could tell what was going to happen. "No fan wars." He said in a serious tone. "Everyone has a right to love whoever they see fit."

After Triple Threat's performance, all the débuting groups had to assemble at the wings, since it would their time to perform. Catal Rhythm were excited but nervous still, however, they planned to go out there and do their best.

"Alright, so next on our program, we have the débutantes! They're all males, so you know the testosterone level this year is quite high!" Itsuki joked.

"That's right, Itsuki. And they're pretty young too. There's hope, young ladies, there's hope." Kenji added with a chuckle. Even the audience laughed.

"Right," Itsuki said, "This six-member group is here to take the place by storm! Help us welcome, _D:FI!_ "

The lights on the stage dimmed momentarily before sirens sounded. The lights came back on, and showed the members of D:FI and backup dancers (dressed like police) crouched down on the floor on one knee. As the music continued, they moved forwards by sliding on their knees to the left and right before standing up when they reached a certain point.

They folded their arms, seeming a bit imposing. On the left, there were three members in a diagonal, while on the other side there was Amari and another member. The boys had formed a 'V' while in the middle there were four backup dancers with Hirose at the back.

As the music continued, the two backups bent down while the other two held Hirose after which he placed his feet on their backs and jumped up and off.

_Can you really call this a crime?_

This was sung by Amari and another member as they got into formation. Hirose was in the middle, with the Amari and the others on the left and right.

_Knock, Knock, I'm going in now_

_It's clear you're going to be shocked_

_I'm quickly going in; I'm quickly going in, trespassing_

Hirose rapped this part, and as he did so, he along with the rest of the group kicked out their feet as though they were kicking down a door. Then, they moved backwards whilst shaking their feet after which they used their hands to make a triangle over their heads. It seemed to be signifying a house's roof.

After this they made little shimmy-like movements before coming closer together. The moment that happened, they swung their arms down in an arc, as though attempting to punch someone.

_Can you really hate this?_

Yet again, this was sung by Amari and the same member as before.

_Knock, Knock, I'm going in now_

_It's clear your heart will pound_

_I'm quickly going in; I'm quickly going in, trespassing_

Hirose came in again, but this time he slid backwards while the other members came up to the front in the same diagonal formation with the middle wide open with Hirose. And like before they kicked out their feet, but this time, they did something different. With one hand upwards, they placed another on their chest where the heart was. They moved one leg around in an arc so as to have the sides of their bodies face the audience. After, they made the same punching movement like prior.

"Man, that _Knock, Knock_ though _…"_ Takao said, tapping his feet to the beat.

"Yeah, Hirose is totally killing it out there." Kagami agreed.

"In terms of dancing, they're all killing it out there." Kuroko added. "I like their choreography."

"You don't want to see their video." Kise joined in. "Serious hardcore stuff."

They brought back their attention to the screen in time to see Amari in the middle with the others on both sides of him.

_See how I'll take care of things_

_In my eyes,_

_Everything around you is a mess_

It was Amari's time to shine, and he did so beautifully. The others around him had one hand on their chest at the heart and the other extended into the air, before shifting their positions.

Amari came closer as he sang, while Hirose and two others were at the back and another two were up close to Amari. Moving their hands into an arc to their right, they twist their bodies in the same direction, and continued their dancing.

"Amari's voice is beautiful." Kise said. "No matter how many times I hear him, I can never get tired of it."

"True." The others agreed.

"This song is pretty cool, though." Kasamatsu said. "Although it's quite edgy and strong, it's pretty cool. Especially Hirose's part."

"I know, right?"

D:FI continued their performance, going into the chorus. At that moment, the audience were singing along, especially at the _Knock Knock_ part. It was extremely catchy. Even Seirin and Kaijou were singing along.

Then, it was Hirose's rap part.

_I'm different from those pretty boys over there_

_Excuse me, excuse my charisma_

_I'm gonna be rude and enter your heart_

_My love knows no manners, excuse my charisma_

At the front were Amari (on Hirose's right) and another member on his left. Hirose was in the middle while the other two members of the group were on his flanks. The backups were present also.

As Hirose began his rap, everyone else bent forwards after which they made a slight shoulder movement to straighten. Amari and the other member moved further outwards while two backup dancers came in closer to Hirose and his other members were closer to the back.

At this part of their routine, D:FI seemed like 'bad boys', Hirose rap was adding to the feel. On that note, the ash-blond owned the stage, making little hand gestures and movements as he rapped. Nearing the end, all members made a hop forward and continued their performance.

When they were finished some time later, the crowd roared and applauded. As D:FI headed backstage, Amari and Hirose immediately went to Catal Rhythm since they were called over.

"Man, the crowd is crazy out there!" Amari said with a heavy sigh. "I swear, I'm glad that our routine that had a leg shake! If not, people would notice how nervous I was!"

"I know right?!" Hirose joined in. "I thought I was going to piss myself! And all eyes were on me, too."

"Of course, Knock-Knock-san," Takao joked. By this time, the next group _Starburst_ went on. They were formally known as 'Trilogy' and were only three members but now they've added two members to make it five.

And like D:FI, they had the crowd raving. But Catal Rhythm didn't get to see most of their performance due to a disturbance.

"Well, well, well," one member of D:FI said to interrupt the boys' friendly chatter. "If it aren't the boys who came through the back door. How does it feel to make it to a stage that everyone here had bust their ass off to get?" He had extremely light brown hair and dark eyes.

Hearing his tone, Catal Rhythm knew what he was insinuating. So, they didn't answer. After all, they had to work three times as hard than these guys.

"Oi, Nakajima, cut it out." Hirose snapped. His green eyes were blazing with anger.

"Cut it out?" Nakajima asked with a scoff. "I don't know how much money they paid to get here, but it isn't fair. And I _don't_ like you guys, and never will."

Kagami lips were itching to answer the bastard. But Kasamatsu had him control by placing an index at his lips.

"Damn right, it isn't." Another piped in, taking a step closer to Catal Rhythm. "Why are you here? Do you have any idea how hard other trainees have been training?"

"Guys, seriously, _stop_." Amari said, his tone was icy and it seemed to have caused the temperature to drop. "Now isn't the time for this and if you have a problem why don't you express it to the President? He's willing to hear everyone out." He then added, "Why don't you all go take a shower, you _stink_." He didn't mean that they smelt foul, but he was referring to their behaviour.

"Stop behaving like you're the leader!" Nakajima retorted. "You're the youngest!"

"But what I said was not incorrect." Amari said, Hirose was beside him nodding in agreement.

Just then, Starburst had finished their performance and Catal Rhythm were called up. Doing breathing exercises, the five boys exuded a dangerous aura that sent chills down D:FI's spines. Everyone looked to Catal Rhythm who were walking away, but they could see that all five were really pissed.

"Come on boys; let's show them how we slay." Kasamatsu said loudly with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	14. Debut: We Are Catal Rhythm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Songs used** :
> 
>  **Catal Rhythm** ―
> 
>  **First song** ― Astro 'Baby'. For full dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avXDxWtjGRM Dancing starts at 0:50.
> 
> Kagami - the one in the half-black half-white shirt. (Jinjin)
> 
> Kasamatsu - The one in the plain white shirt and black pants. (Moonbin)
> 
> Kuroko - the one with the purplish hair (Sanha)
> 
> Takao - the one in the full black with the rectangle picture on the shirt. (Rocky)
> 
> Kise - the short one in the full black AND the one in the white shirt with 'ete ecole' (MJ and Eunwoo)
> 
>  **Second song** ― SHINee 'Juliette'. For full dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TgqhibSYkw
> 
> Kagami - the one in the pink pants. (Minho)
> 
> Kasamatsu - the one in the yellow pants. (Onew)
> 
> Kuroko - the one in the sky-blue pants. (Taemin)
> 
> Takao - the one in the cream looking pants and green shirt. (Key)
> 
> Kise - the one in the red pants. (Jonghyun)

 

Walking out onto the stage, a surge of screams hit them squarely, and immediately they looked in one direction. At first, they spotted their parents and siblings who had their glow sticks poised awkwardly to stand out from the rest of the crowd. And then there's Seirin and Kaijou who made sure to wear neon colours so as to be easily spotted.

"Oh my Gosh!" Riko screeched as she saw them. "They're gorgeous!"

"That's what you're screaming about?" Hyuuga asked. "I can't tell who is who, apart from Kuroko that is."

"Right?!" the others agreed.

Catal Rhythm were all clothed in the exact same thing ―slim fitted, long sleeved red-velvet blazers in which the sleeves were pushed up to their forearms. Beneath that was a white turtleneck (whose sleeves were folded over the sleeve of the blazer) that matched their white pants and white sneakers. Their hairs were coloured in very dark purple, for those far away from the stage, they would think that Catal Rhythm's hairs were black.

But to hide their eyes, they wore their laser-cut masks and each was a different colour ―Kasamatsu was purple, Takao was green, Kagami was red tiger stripes, Kuroko was plain white, and Kise was yellow.

"Good day everyone!" Kise started, being his usual perky self. At Kise's greeting, the crowd had responded with a cheer.

"How are you today?!" Takao asked.

 _« Fine! »_ The audience responded.

"Great, great," Takao said while nodding. He then turned to Kasamatsu and made a head gesture.

"Well, thank you for giving us your undivided attention." He started with a bow. "We're prepared to blow you away." The crowd screamed. But one thing they liked was that Kasamatsu was so…cool and well poised.

"And this _sophisticated gentleman_ that has gotten you all frenzied is none other than our Leader, Yuki! He's our Lead Vocalist." Takao introduced. "I call him Yu-chan though," he added with a chuckle.

"I call him Senpai." Kise piped in.

"It's a pleasure to stand before you all today." Kasamatsu said.

"See what we mean girls?" Kise smirked. "Gentleman, indeed." He then turned to Kasamatsu, "But, be careful Senpai. You can't be going around stealing the hearts of girls. It's dangerous." The audience erupted with laughter.

"Wha…?" Kasamatsu didn't know where that came from. "I'm not ―"

"I agree. But not because it's dangerous; if Yu-chan captures all the girls, what am I going to be left with?" Takao said. "Don't be greedy."

"If you want to be left with your teeth, I suggest you shut up." Kasamatsu snapped.

"Well, he can be quite the meanie when annoyed." Both Kise and Takao said, backing away from him. Kasamatsu's leg was poised and ready to kick the shit out of them.

"Next we have our resident rapper, Taiga!" Kise said. "He can be such an animal sometimes." He said while shaking his head disapprovingly.

"What did you say?!" Kagami roared, and motioned to grab the model.

"See what I mean!?" Kise screeched, ducking behind an unsuspecting Kasamatsu. "Such! An! Ani―"

 _«_ ― _mal! »_ the audience completed. They were slowly being caught up in Catal Rhythm's antics without even realizing. And what made it worse, the other groups didn't do anything like this. People already knew the other groups from their web dramas and such, but not Catal Rhythm.

"I know right?!" Takao agreed.

"Taiga-kun," Kuroko said, jabbing Kagami in his side. The rapper howled in pain and doubled over. "Calm down."

"And folks, if you never knew what sound a tiger makes, you just did." Kise snickered. The others on the stage turned their faces away from the crowd to hide their laughter. But due to the fact that they wore head-worn mics, their snickers couldn't have gone unheard.

"But the dashing young man who managed to subdue Taiga is none other than our Main dancer, Sora-chan!" Takao perked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said with a bow. And with Kuroko being himself, the audience was appalled by his politeness.

"Let me tell you a story," Kise began, going over to Kuroko. "In the beginning, there was a _huge_ basin filled with politeness, good demeanor and mannerisms. Our souls had to get sprinkled with it before we enter the world."

Kasamatsu and the others were wondering where Kise was heading with this. Backstage, Perfect 5th and D:FI were cracking with laughter at the idiot. Even the crowd was busting their stomach due to Kise's antics.

"Some got more than others, it's the usual, but Soracchi here," Kise shook his head; "he slipped and fell in the basin. However, he was quickly taken out, but he was drenched. And that's why Soracchi is super polite and have good manners. Trust me ladies, he's the other gentleman apart from Senpai."

That was it, everyone died with laughter, even Hikaru and Asami ―Kuroko's mother, were nodding in agreement.

"And I," Takao started, "Am Taka! I rap and I sing." He said suave. "Get ready to be swayed."

"With his eyes, he can see ten-thousand miles away." Kise added. "Come on; tell me which cute girl is sitting over there."

"Sunn-chan, I can't see in the dark." Takao deadpanned. An eerie silence followed before laughter rang out yet again. Even Kenji and Itsuki were dying in the wings.

"Right…"

"And this idiot is Sunn. He's our main vocalist." Kasamatsu started, placing a hand on Kise's head. "Trust me, if there should be a power outage, we wouldn't need a flashlight."

 _« Why? »_ The crowd asked.

"Because his smiles are so bright, it'll put even the real sun to shame."

"Senpai…" Kise said, almost tearing up.

"But he can be really annoying," Kagami said.

"And whiny," Kuroko added.

"He has his dimwit-ish moments too." Kasamatsu added.

Kise felt stabbed. "How could you?!" he screeched.

"But girls, Sunn-chan can sing, dance, is good at sports," Kasamatsu said with a chuckle. "And he can cook and clean."

"So, girls, get you a man that can do everything." Kuroko joined. The audience howled with laughter while the females were agreeing with what he said. These boys were something else. Kenji and Itsuki had to be wiping tears from their eyes, D:FI and Perfect 5th felt as though they had six-packs coming.

"We are Catal Rhythm!" they chirped with a bow.

"And we just wanted to say," Kise began.

"Hello~" all five sang while waving.

_« Hi! »_

They then got into position; all five formed a 'V' with Kasamatsu in the middle, and on his left and right were Kuroko and Kagami, and behind those two were Kise and Takao. At the start of the music, they turned their faces to their left while snapping the fingers of their right hands in the air. Their other hand was behind them. They repeated this movement while changing the direction each time. At the last, their hands were lowered, almost at their waists.

They then brought their hands together and crossed them at the waist before making a quick snap and brought both their hands upwards. With their right hand bent at ninety degrees, they trailed their fingers upwards to their necks. There, they briefly touched the both sides of their napes.

Swiftly, they brought down the same hand to meet the other. Then they held their chins, and looked upwards to the ceiling. Within less than a second later, with a little dip, they placed their hands behind them.

Kasamatsu then snapped outwards to his right, and taking a few steps out. When he came back to the group, Kuroko and Kagami joined in the dancing. Their hands were up and were snapping while they continuously stepped to the left in rhythm. Kise and Takao then joined in a beat later, and they continued.

Matching the beat, they switched positions, Kasamatsu was still in the middle but Kuroko and Kagami were further outwards. Kise and Takao were in the back.

_I can't fall asleep_

_I'm only thinking about you_

Kasamatsu started the song, and as they brushed off their shoulders, they moved smoothly with light steps forwards while making the snaps to match the beat. While Kasamatsu danced, he had flair and suave; there was something about his movements that seemed to flow.

The audience had been stunned into silence the moment they started dancing, although Seirin and Kaijou had seen their dances in rehearsals, there was something different about them on stage. They had much vigor and there was something that emanated from their bodies in waves.

_Because of you, I'm having this kind of night_

_Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Kasamatsu slid to the back, while Takao came to the front middle and sang this part, Kuroko and Kise on his flanks, Kagami around the back on Kuroko's flank. They had frozen into a pose for a second or two, and placing their hands at their chests, they did a body roll while their hands trailed. They then made a miniscule hop to their right before snapping continuously downwards as they bent their knees.

_Our eyes that met,_

_Your shy smile_

It was Kuroko's turn, and he came up to the front middle. Kagami and Kise were on his flanks while Takao and Kasamatsu were behind. With swift hand movements that matched the music, the boys danced what seemed to be effortless. At first, they had pushed forward one leg while their hands made an 'X' at their upper chest in one swift move. Retracting the leg, they stood poised before moving off again.

_It's torturing me tonight,_

_Woo yeah, yeah, yeah_

Takao came in again, and while everyone was bent low and skillfully moving towards their new positions, he walked to his, since he was the one singing.

_We sat across each other and talked_

_Then the unknown song that started playing_

This time, they had all assumed their positions ―Kise was in the middle with Kuroko and Kasamatsu on his right, Takao and Kagami on his left. Kise was the one who sang this part, and as he did so, they dragged one leg smoothly and brought it up to the back of their other foot's knee, and repeated it once doing the inverse. Along with these movements, they brought one hand up after which they pointed the index outward.

Then, they made a hop in towards Kise and brushed off their shoulders stylishly. They then leaned forwards to the crowd, and made waving motions with their hands. At this, Kagami had slipped around the back behind Kise.

_The lyrics take my heart away_

_I only wanna fall into you_

The group then dispersed as Kagami started his rap, showing the tall youth walking with a bounce towards the front. Takao was the only one standing back-to-back to him until his rap was complete. The two boys then skipped back behind the others who had come up from the back.

_You keep spinning around me,_

_What's this feeling? Oh!_

Kuroko was singing, he placed a hand where his heart was, and made a little swaying movements forwards. The others behind him crossed their legs and tapped the floor with the tip of their toes. Then, Kasamatsu and Kise slid outwards turning their bodies to the left and right respectively. Kagami and Takao were around the back on Kuroko's flank. They continued their intricate dance, until they finally reformed their 'V' formation.

_Baby, it's now, oh my baby_

_Your hidden truth_

_I'm curious about it, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Kasamatsu was back in the front middle, and he was the one who sang this. Their bodies were slightly turned to their left with their right hands stretched up and outwards behind them. Slowly, they brought down their hands down but picked up a speed when they stretched out that same hand forward. Making hops to turn their bodies in the other direction; they stretched out one of their feet this time, while sassily moving their outstretched hands. They did this dance twice more before spinning on the spot and then shaking their shoulders.

_Baby, at this moment, oh my baby_

_What are you dreaming of?_

_I hope it's the same as mine_

_I want you tonight_

Kise sung this part as they slid into their different positions. Kasamatsu slid backwards from the front, while to move out of his way, Takao slid to his right. Kise and Kagami moved up, so too did Kuroko. After this, the back row consisted of Kuroko, Kasamatsu and Takao while the front had Kagami and Kise. They brought one of their legs to the back of the other leg's knee before bending a little with a leg stretched out to the sides. This action caused them to turn their bodies, but within a heartbeat, they were facing the crowd yet again.

Using the momentum from swinging one hand in an arc, they brought their bodies forward, Kise ending up being the centre of attention. They pointed their toes to the left first before switching with their hands on their chests.

Kise then hopped closer to Kuroko and Kagami and made a gesture with his hands. The boys moved into position but then Kise recreated the same move to his right where Kasamatsu and Takao was, and just like the former two, they came closer to Kise.

Watching it, the Generation of Miracles along with their teammates were stunned. The entire audience saw the intricacies and difficulties and was just blown away. Catal Rhythm moved with precision, with ease and they were so in sync that it was frightening. The Miracles and company were rendered speechless, even Shutoku were in shock. Takao had always been playful and full of energy but this…was damn amazing.

In the VIP section, Hikaru and Ryouhei were tearing up. Both males had their phones poised and were videoing ever since they came on stage, but when they're boys broke out in their dance; emotions got the better of them. Ryouhei, was being the typical drama queen that he was.

For Hikaru it was even more since he was the one who choreographed the routine. He remembered the days when they'd bawl their eyes out at its difficulty, but as soon as he mentioned other groups, they would get fired up and attempt to conquer it. Seeing them performing it on stage right now with such finesse had the typically stoic Kuroko moved.

Kazuo and Mitsurou were moved as well; as neither had thought that their sons could move like that. After all, they were basketball players. Their siblings as well were stunned, Kasamatsu's little brothers sat and gaped, Takao's sister seemed like she was about to faint any second. Kise's sisters ―Ruiko and Reiko were behaving like their father. Only the wives were behaving normal.

Seirin and Kaijou couldn't find their voices. Seeing them dance in rehearsals is one thing, but performing was another. More so, Kuroko was _dancing_. Yes, he was their main dancer, but they couldn't find the boy who had low presence and seemed weak and fragile. On stage, Kuroko was a monster.

Every step he took was smooth and precise, yet seeming so powerful and effortless. His postures were amazing, everything about him was amazing. Even though he wasn't always in the front, even though they looked at the other members, Kuroko's image was always in their periphery. If not, they could feel his energy radiating and it sent chills. As a matter of fact, they got chills by watching all of them dance.

_There's no exit to you_

_I've bitten down on the bait_

_I don't know what to do, I'm going crazy_

_I already put dibs on you_

_I hope you won't be apart from me_

Taken out of their thoughts by Kagami's powerful rapping, the two teams looked on to see the tiger in the middle with the others around him. They weren't doing any dancing here, but when Kagami moved his left hand, Takao and Kasamatsu moved their heads according, and when he did the same on his right, Kise and Kuroko did the same.

_Only silence fills up this night,_

Kise sung this part as they then dispersed, leaving him to stand in the middle. He then walked up to where Kagami was and extended his arm in his direction.

_It shakes me up_

Kuroko sung, but unlike Kise, he didn't move from his position.

_The world is spinning,_

Kise came in again but slid backwards from Kagami as he sung.

_You keep coming into my heart_

Kuroko sang again, but this time all five moved to assemble in the middle of the stage. Takao and Kagami were at the front, Kuroko was behind them in the middle, Kise flanking Kagami, Kasamatsu flanking Takao.

_I can't just look at you,_

_I will go to your house_

Takao came in, but instead of singing, he was rapping. He slid to his right first, and then took a powerful step forward. Throwing one hand up and then next, both he and the others moved backwards before they bent and slid outwards.

_Baby, it's now, oh my baby_

_Your hidden truth_

_I'm curious about it, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Baby, at this moment, oh my baby_

_What are you dreaming of?_

_I hope it's the same as mine_

_I want you tonight_

There, they jumped and went into their dance for the chorus. It was sung by everyone except Kagami. With their hands in a diagonal, they brought one foot upwards and turned and then kicked out that same leg. Bending their right knee, they stretched out their left leg with their toes pointing, before spinning in a pirouette with their hands above their heads, similarly to ballerinas.

They crossed one leg over the other before bringing it forward and kicking out briefly. Sweeping their legs in a graceful arc, they then pulled themselves to their right and then making a step before hopping into position. Timing it just right, they nodded their heads vigorously in correspondence to the lyrics.

Kise and Kuroko slid forward to the front while Kagami slid further outwards. Takao and Kasamatsu slid backwards and all five boys turned their backs before jumping yet again, their arms outspread like wings. Upon landing, they went into really fast arm-work and footwork ―swinging their arms to the left and right, kicking their feet forwards before crossing them at the ankles.

Swiftly, as though they were pulling down something with their two hands from above, they brought one leg that was stretched out closer to the next, before entering a little shimmy-like dance.

"Good grief!" Miyaji shouted in shock and awe. "That's insane!"

"How did they not fall?" Otsubo added. Midorima silently agreed with them. "All those hands and feet movements are just crazy!"

"It seems like Aomine isn't the only crazy one around here." Imayoshi said, his eyes had been wide open.

"I'm wondering, how do they remember all that?" Fukui said, "In front of such a large crowd no less."

"We'll just have to ask them afterwards." Akashi joined in.

"But this song is really catchy!" Hayama perked. "I like it!"

Before they knew it, the boys were done.

"Thank you very much!" Catal Rhythm said with a bow, taking the teams out of their thoughts. The crowd was still in silence, but the boys on the stage knew that the best performances are the ones that leave the crowd speechless. They knew they did a good job. Walking off, they caught the look on Kenji's face and the man was tearing up.

"ENCORE!"

That screech halted them in their tracks. On instinct, they turned around to see where it came from but inside the theatre were black, it was impossible to see.

"Encore!"

Another rang out.

"Encore! Encore! Encore!" This time, they could make out the voices of their teammates but not before long, the entire theatre was screaming for an encore. The five boys stood frozen in shock. They never imagined the audience wanting them to perform twice, all they wanted was to shut up some members from D:FI and making Kenji and their supporters proud.

"Well, Catal Rhythm, what are you waiting for?" Itsuki said as he made his way onto the stage from wings. "The crowd loves you! Perform again for your _babies."_ He joked.

And so, Catal Rhythm got into their positions and as soon as the music played, brought the house down yet again. This time, their performance was even better, being that they've gotten into their groove and got what D:FI didn't. The crowd raved this time, fans screaming and entering a frenzied state.

Perfect 5th who were with D:FI backstage watched everything and were appalled. Hirose and Amari sung along where they could, Nakajima and his followers weren't too happy about this though. Perfect 5th took in their dance keenly and fell in love.

After some minutes, the boys were finished with their song, Kenji and Itsuki came on to have a word with them.

"How does it feel? It's your début stage and you managed to get an encore." Itsuki asked. Kenji looked as though he was planning something.

"It…feels…" Kasamatsu said in between pants to catch his breath. It was not easy dancing _and_ singing that routine. "…great."

"We've never imagined…" Kise joined in, panting like Kasamatsu. "…that we'd get an encore." But he spoke a bit faster so as to get more words out.

"We're extremely grateful." Kuroko said in one breath. He then sucked in a breath and exhaled. He seemed the most tired of all.

"Another song! Give us another song!" A shout from one section of the theatre sounded. The two hosts and Catal Rhythm froze.

"I did not see this coming." Kagami said after he could breathe normally again. The chants continued, and Kenji decided to intervene.

"Well, Catal Rhythm, they want another song. How about it?" he asked.

"Uh," Takao started, "We didn't expect this reaction." This wasn't a complete lie. They only intended to tear the place down; getting the chance to perform another song never crossed their minds.

"Plus, other artistes have to perform as well, right? We can't cut into their times." Kasamatsu said, he genuinely meant that. But Kenji grinned. The five boys trembled as they knew that the man wasn't going to be swayed.

"Don't worry about it. So, how about ' _Juliette'?"_ He asked, but his face indicated that he was issuing a command.

"But he's right, Kenji." Itsuki said. "Man, I never knew audiences could get this greedy."

"Okay, give us a little piece out of Juliette. About a minute or ―"

"―thirty seconds." Itsuki interrupted. "The clock's ticking."

"Ah, what's wrong? Let them do it." A voice said from the wings. It was Tobio. He walked out onto the stage, waving to the fans. "Don't be like that, Kit-san."

"You shouldn't be like _that._ " Reiya walked out and grabbed Tobio in his collar. "They have their program set up, you know? One minute," he said as he looked to Catal Rhythm. "If anything, you guys can be show's closing act, ne?" He smiled.

"Do you hear that?" Kenji said to the audience. "Their next song will be Juliette! Now, I wonder how many hearts they can capture."

"Humph!" Itsuki came in. "I think the audience's hearts are already captured." He then laughed. "I mean, didn't you hear the screeches and screams from the audience earlier? Not even D:FI and Starburst had them screaming this much."

"I think some of them may end up hoarse." Kenji laughed. "Be careful now, young folks."

"Pot calling kettle black," Itsuki snorted. "You're not that much older than most of these fans here. Aren't you fresh out of high school?" He then turned to the crowd, "Remember what Sora-kun said, get a man that can do everything? He's available."

"Wha…? This is a concert!" Kenji's face reddened. "Not a dating site! And I'm not that young! I'm twenty-three." He grumbled.

"That's why you're still single." His co-host mumbled into his mic. "Now give it up for Catal Rhythm with Juliette!"

All five backs were turned towards the audience, and they seemed to be in a 'V' formation. Kise was in the middle, on his left and right were Kasamatsu and Takao and lastly, were Kuroko and Kagami behind those two. However, due to the boys being in the same clothing, the audience couldn't tell who was who. Kuroko was easily spotted since he was the shortest, but the others, people couldn't decipher.

_Song for my Juliette!_

Takao's voice rang out and the five then walked in the direction that they were facing which would be upstage. Kise then turned around and walked back towards the audience and as he passed Kasamatsu and Takao, they turned around and followed him as well. Kuroko and Kagami followed suit as the others passed them. They were still in the 'V' formation, Kise was still in front.

_The moonlight, as if it'll spill, is definitely dark_

Kise sang this part, he and the others danced beautifully in sync. As they had been standing with their legs slightly apart, they brought them together before briefly kicking out one leg and bringing it back. Everyone turned into Kasamatsu's direction, unmoving while the older teen danced his part.

_Including the almost exploding torchlight_

Kasamatsu brought forward his hands that were behind his back and danced with beautiful footwork and hand gestures. When he was almost done, he folded his arms and stood with his feet apart, the others mimicked this movement as well. All five then leaned to their right while retaining that posture before turning and facing Takao's direction.

_I need to learn how to shine like she does_

Takao was the one who sung this time, and he too, used footwork and hand gestures to dance. It wasn't anything too extravagant, but still, it was amazing. When he finished dancing, he fell into line with everyone else and they made a small hop backwards. They leaned to their left before changing positions.

_If I look at her I'll be blinded_

Kise came in again, when he sang, he placed a hand over his eyes in correspondence to what he was singing. Kasamatsu and Takao moved further outwards while Kuroko and Kagami had moved inwards. In a breath, Kuroko and Kagami slid through either sides of Kise to make it to the front.

_Please give me a chance_

_When you look at me with those eyes_

_I want to hold you in my arms_

Kuroko and Kagami sung here as they crossed their arms and leaned backwards to end up sweeping out a leg in an arc. Bringing a knee upwards, they stretched out their other leg and used that same leg to hold their weight as they leaned. One of their arms was in the air, after which they brought it down to point at the audience.

They then twist on their heels which caused their hips to twist sharply with their hands at their chest. Their legs were shoulder-width apart; they stretched a hand outward before crossing their feet at the ankles and then stepping to the left with a hand out.

Bringing their feet back together, they crossed once more at their ankles with one of their hands wrapping around their heads briefly. Leaning to the side, they kicked out their straightened feet, first to the right then left. Bending forwards, they swung out one of their feet and turned to the side.

_But to me, you're like a playful fox_

Kise sang while they all raised their knees upwards, Kasamatsu used this time to get in line with Kuroko and Kagami who were at the front.

_Juliette, I'll give you my soul_

_Juliette, please accept me_

_Juliette, sweetly, a little more sweeter_

_Whisper my serenade_

Everyone sung at this part, they moved their hands in the air like a snake or like they were defining a 'coca-cola bottle' before bowing with a hand across their abdomen. Straightening up, they swept out their legs in an arc and then pointed downwards with their indexes. Still leaning forwards, they kicked out their feet to the left then to the right, and then they moved their knees back and forth.

They duplicated their arm movement from prior, but after they swept out their legs to the right before smoothly pulling it back in. Then, they continuously moved one leg outwards while barely hopping.

"Juliette~!" Hayama sang while making failed attempts at their dancing.

"Stop it." Mibuchi said in disgust. Strangely, Nebuya had kept quiet.

"Aww, can't believe they're done already." Momoi said with a pout as she watched the boys bow to the audience.

"Well, they weren't supposed to sing its entirety." Wakamatsu said.

"If you want to hear more, go buy their mini-album!" Kenji said. "It's a great listen." He'd know this, as he was present at all their recordings.

"So, how many of you want to become Catal Rhythm's 'Juliettes'?" Itsuki asked with a tease. The crowd erupted in a cheer. "Hmm, thought so." He smirked.

"Without any further ado, let's welcome, the one, the only, Kings of Synchronization, Perfect 5th!" Kenji and Itsuki said, enthusiasm seeping out their body in waves.

"What's up?!" Daigo asked as he and the others walked out onto the stage. The crowd's screams got even louder.

"I can't believe that our beloved fans were taken with Catal Rhythm," Tobio said, pretending to sob.

"Don't worry," Reiya said with a sly smile. "Our fans know that we're their destiny."

"Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we?!" Akio said with his usual perk. "Play that intro!"

The moment Perfect 5th began; due to the loud screams and shouts, the Aihara Music Theatre seemed to have experienced an earthquake.

_xxxx_

After Perfect 5th performed, the soloists were introduced, and they too performed a couple songs. Kenji and Itsuki kept the crowd enthused with their antics and chemistry on the stage. Together, they made a powerful duo which never left the audience bored.

At the end of the Ai-Fest, fans were able to meet with their favourite idols for a handshake event held in the compound. Débuting groups were present as well, and in Catal Rhythm's instance, Seirin and Kaijou, the Generation of Miracles and their teams swarmed their booth and started firing off questions. Akashi had to subdue them since people were starting to stare.

After they got past that, they took a couple pictures and headed off to queue up for Perfect 5th, Moriyama had gone to Triple Threat and other female soloists.

When everything was done, everyone affiliated with Catal Rhythm went out to celebrate, of course, the teens milking Hikaru, Kenji and Ryouhei's pockets. And somehow, they ended up at a street court and started playing basketball, but after a while, Catal Rhythm were so tired and sore that they retired for the day.

Kenji brought them home and as they got into a comfortable position ―Kise, Kasamatsu and Kuroko curled up in the sofa, Takao and Kagami fell asleep on the chairs nearby.

Kenji smiled but didn't attempt to move them by himself. He headed out and asked Perfect 5th for help which they complied with. The six males hauled up the boys, and while it was less agonizing with Kagami, Kuroko and Kasamatsu; getting Kise and Takao on the top bunk was hell. Especially Kise.

"Shouldn't models be lightweight?" Daigo cursed. "How the hell is he so heavy? Shit!"

"I know right?" Akio said.

"Just hurry it up! My back! My back!" Tobio screeched.

The three young men were attempting to put Kise on his bed. Tobio was on his fours with Akio standing in his back. Daigo held Kise under his arm and then passed the boy onto Akio. With an agonized grunt, Akio turned and pushed him up towards Reiya who was on Kise's bed.

He grabbed Kise under the arms and struggled to haul him up. The others down below pushed Kise upwards to ease the stress on Reiya. The operation ended in a success, Jun was standing a far off and videoing their antics. Without hitch, Reiya jumped down and climbed up onto Takao's bed. The four repeated the process with the hawk-eyed boy and after a couple minutes, Catal Rhythm were in their beds, albeit in strange positions.

"Please remind me," Daigo groaned out as he walked into their living room. "Never assist Ai-Ken in moving these boys. They're like dead bodies!"

"Only Kuroko-kun was manageable." Akio sighed. "If it's only him, then I'll take the risk. But Kise," he shook his head. "He'll have to stay."

"Kagami too." Reiya joined in.

Waving Kenji goodbye, they headed to their apartment to get some rest. Before Kenji left, he covered them with sheets as he knew the nights can be quite cold. Turning off the lights, he said,

"Good night, my precious war potentials. You have a packed week coming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	15. The Day After

 

Kenji entered Catal Rhythm's house and went into their bedroom. Seeing the boys sleeping soundly made him smile briefly. However, their postures were terrible. On the bunk dubbed 'The Ace Bunk' by the boys, Kise lay on his back stretching diagonally across the bed. His right foot was slung over one side of the bed, while his head and left arm was hung over on the left. Kenji was glad that the window was closed, because he may have fallen out during the night. But, Kenji wondered, how is it that a model has such an atrocious sleeping posture?

But then he remembered that Perfect 5th were the ones who moved his boys...to think that they didn't spare the time to fix them properly. On the bunk beneath him, half of Kagami was on the floor. Kenji winced; he knew that once Kagami wakes up, his neck is going to hurt.

Looking at Kuroko, Kenji nearly burst out in laughter. He's heard many stories of Kuroko's bed-hair but seeing it up close and in the flesh was an altogether different experience. The boy's dyed dark purple hair was sticking up in all directions as he lay on his back, hands bent at his head like a newborn.

He looked over to "The Point Guard Bunk", and found yet another hilarious sight. Takao was in a similar position to Kise; however, his head wasn't hanging off. Instead, his left arm and leg were thrown over the edge as he lay on his side. His right hand somehow found its way underneath the guardrail and hung over.

Kasamatsu was the only one who looked the least funny. He looked like he was freefalling with one foot bent in a right angle, his face firmly planted in his pillow.

Unable to resist the urge, Kenji took out his phone and snapped pictures of all the boys in their funny sleeping positions. But when he was done, he quickly turned over Kasamatsu fretting that he may have suffocated and died. And (not surprisingly), Kasamatsu didn't even stir.

With a sigh, Kenji pulled their sheets off before drawing back the curtains. The bright sunlight entered the room in full force, assaulting Kise's face. He let out a high pitched screech as he flew off the bed. Kise stumbled and crashed into the dresser due to his entire body being sore.

Hearing the screeches and the clattering, the others rose up like zombies fresh from the dead. Kenji felt a six pack coming. His boys were killing him and they haven't even woken up properly yet. The manager made sure to burn this image into his mind, and next time, he'll definitely bring a cameraman.

"Ow!" Takao shouted as he tried to get up. He was unaware that his hand was underneath the guardrail and nearly broke it. He sounded like he was hitting a high note.

"Why is my cheek on the floor?" Kagami groaned as he slowly got up. However, his arms were trembling, and not long after, he crashed face-first into the floor.

"I feel like I played against Touou twice." Kasamatsu groaned out as he managed to get onto his feet. He leaned on the bunk so as to not fall. "I hope we don't have to go anywhere today."

"Is Kise-kun dead?" Kuroko asked, the drowsiness was evident in his face and voice. All eyes darted to the model who was slumped against the wall.

"I'm very much alive, Kurokocchi." He mumbled out.

Kenji's laughter simmered down into a series of chuckles. "You have a meeting soon. With the President."

"Eh?!" they screeched. "Why?" they seem like they were about to burst into tears. But at least, they seemed to brighten up.

"Well, Dad doesn't know you guys so I guess he wants to meet the boys who caused such a stir at the Festival." Kenji chuckled. "It won't be long."

They sighed.

"Fine," Kasamatsu sighed. He then looked to Kuroko and made a gesture. The boy knew what this meant and lazily walked to the bathroom. They all used the bathroom in one set order ―Kuroko, then Kagami, Kasamatsu, Takao and Kise being the last. They decided on this arrangement starting from the person that spent the least time in the bathroom to the most.

After they showered and freshened up, they ate breakfast which was prepared by Kenji. Their manager felt sorry for them, so he decided to cook for them just this once. However, at breakfast, they were still so sore that they couldn't even feed themselves. Kenji laughed at their misery and decided to watch them struggle. Kagami and Kise kept complaining about their necks ―Kagami wondering why he was sleeping in such a position. Takao complained about nearly breaking his arm when Kise frightened him, Kasamatsu just didn't want to get out of bed. Kuroko was just trying to eat.

Almost an hour later they were done and the six set out for the Complex. At first, Catal Rhythm felt at ease, thinking that they were going to be driven. Kenji just laughed and said,

"Of course not! You're numb and sore! You need to loosen up!" he was enjoying this. "Walking will help the pain to go away."

"But isn't the Complex far from here?" Takao asked.

Kenji shrugged. "It's at a reasonable distance where you can either walk with friends or take a taxi without feeling dissatisfied."

"Oh." But even though they said so, they were almost breaking out in tears.

The six then walked off, Kenji was ahead of them telling them to pick up the pace. The five groaned aloud in agony, and in that moment, Kenji whipped out his phone and called Hikaru. He then proceeded to tell the dance instructor that his five boys wanted to have practice with him.

"No we don't!" they screamed and summoned strength from the great beyond to move off.

By the time they reached the Complex, Kise looked like he had just run from a horde of fangirls, while the others looked like they were coming from playing a match against a Miracle. They then headed to the President's office via the elevator, at first; Kenji had cracked a torturous joke about taking the steps instead.

It was then that they realized that while Kenji wasn't as sadistic as Hikaru, he was still evil. Dragging themselves to the office, Kenji told them fix themselves up before entering. After much shuffling and the what-not, Kenji knocked on the door thrice before hearing a deep voice telling them to come in.

Kenji and his boys strolled in confidently, all eyes in the room landed on them. There was a round table in the middle of the large room; Starburst, D:FI and their managers were already seated beside each other, leaving the rest of seats for Catal Rhythm and Kenji. President Aihara was seated at the top-most area.

The six males greeted them before taking their seats. The air was thick with tension, and only an idiot wouldn't be able to notice the hostility between D:FI (except Amari and Hirose) and Catal Rhythm.

"Now that everyone's here, I'd like to say to my début groups ―Congratulations." President Aihara smiled.

"Thank you." The boys all chorused.

"Now, as you all should know, the trials you faced in your trainee days are just the tip of the iceberg. The real deal has started the moment you stepped foot on the stage at the Festival." He said. "Perilous times are ahead."

"Perilous?" one boy from Starburst said. He was a tall dark-haired boy with light brown eyes. Only Takao could remember his stage name which was "Solar".

"Yes." President Aihara said while nodding. "You'll have to face the veteran groups, not only from our company but from others as well. And the issues with fans that are crazy in love with you and the anti-fans that will hate your guts out. I don't even need to mention the troubles that come with the media."

Everyone nodded. While only Takao and Kise had a clear understanding of these (the former watches the entertainment news and such, the latter is a model and faces these things almost daily), Kagami, Kuroko and Kasamatsu had an idea of what these things entail. After all, ever since the video of them dancing with Perfect 5th went online, the barrage of questions and harassment they've face was huge. And that was _just because_ they danced with Perfect 5th.

Imagine their lives in days to come…

"But, as long as you all do what you're supposed to, and follow the advice of your managers, then you should be fine." The President said to ease the boys present. "Any questions?"

"Yes." Nakajima said as he raised his hand. Aihara nodded to indicate that he could speak. "It's about them." He said as he pointed in Catal Rhythm's direction. All five's eyebrows rose after which came the eye rolls. "How could they get in the company through the back door, and even début before other trainees who've been here for years?" He continued, "They even got their own instructors!"

The President was silent. He looked at Nakajima intensely.

"Oi, Nakajima," another of Starburst ―"Jupiter" started. He was as tall as "Solar" but had silver hair and green eyes. "Haven't you seen their performance? It's obvious that they can dance and sing; what more do you need?"

"What are you saying?" Nakajima scoffed.

"I'm saying that you should stop. I admit, at first I was pissed about it too but after seeing them perform, I realized that there must be a reason for them to get in without taking the audition." Jupiter sighed.

"Oi," Nakajima stood up, almost in anger. With a sigh, Amari and Hirose pushed back their chairs further from the table in hopes of escaping from any crossfire. Their manager was about to take action but the President beat him to it.

"Boys," President Aihara's voice resounded. "While I do understand that anyone would have felt upset at their entry, please don't blame them."

"But Aihara-san, we've been working our ass―ourselves hard ever since we became trainees! How could they get things so easy?!" Nakajima said. The people in the room couldn't tell whether or not he was sad or angry about this matter. Catal Rhythm were tempted to grab the boy in throw him through the window.

The President stared at Nakajima. "Get things easy? When?" but before Nakajima could say anything more, he continued with a grin, "Alright, how about a test?"

"A test?"

"Yes, the new school year is approaching so I want you all to do something for me." The President stood up with a nasty grin. "The moment school opens I want you all to join a sports club."

"EEHH?!" Came the high pitched screech from the boys present. "WHY?!"

"Hold on. I'm not done. I want a monthly report as well and if you fail to even make it onto the bench; you'll revert to being trainees."

Kenji and the other managers doubled their lips so as to not burst out laughing. Their boys' facial expressions were priceless. That last sentence was obviously a lie, but being that they wouldn't know about the President's tendencies, they took it seriously.

"But we're idols! How will we have the time to play a sport and our work?" Jupiter screeched in horror. "I can't even imagine! Rehearsals, recordings, shoots and other things plus training and camps and competitions!? Aihara-san, isn't that a bit too much?"

Catal Rhythm leaned back in their chairs looking smug. While they were trainees, they had Winter Cup preparing for; at this moment Kagami wanted to laugh at the complaining bastards.

"No, it's not. You're young."

"So, which sport are we going to play?" Amari then asked. He and Hirose were the only ones not freaking out. "Is the choice up to us?"

"Yes, entirely yours. You can choose to play the same sport and write a joint report or you choose whichever sport you like and write your own report."

"How about volleyball?" this time it was "Mars" from Starburst who spoke. He was the twin brother of Jupiter.

"Oh hell no." Jupiter disagreed with a huff. "Have you not seen those monstrous spikes? I wonder how come the receivers' arms aren't broken yet."

"Alright, alright." The President said to gain their attention. "You can get started on this elsewhere. Now go." He said while making a shooing movement with his hand.

After bidding their farewell, Starburst and D:FI got up and left the room. Their managers congratulated Catal Rhythm on their success before leaving their boys as well. President Aihara then once more congratulated Catal Rhythm.

"So does that mean we're off the hook?" Kagami asked, referring what Kenji had told them what would happen should they have failed.

"Yes, and even if you didn't drive the crowd crazy, I wouldn't have kept my word." He admitted. The five exchanged glances. "While at the outset I was serious about it, when I kept getting your monthly progress report from Kenji and your instructors, I realized that letting you go would have been cruel.

"Four of you knew nothing about music and had to learn from scratch, in another instance, four of you couldn't dance, all five of you couldn't sing to save your lives but you still pulled through to become the amazing boys that you are today. All the while preparing for Winter Cup."

The President chuckled before he started up again.

"It's amazing really. I was greatly appalled when Kenji and Kuroko-san told me of your after school activities. Kagami-kun, Kise-kun and Kuroko-kun are aces; Kasamatsu-kun is his team's captain and nationally strong point guard, while Takao-kun is a top-notch point guard. I had to ask myself, how do you do it? You have to be learning what the others from Starburst and D:FI learnt in two years in approximately eight or nine months.

"It was then that I changed my mind. I thought 'regardless of how their début turns out, they'll still be idols'. And I'm glad I did." He smiled. "Welcome to the Aihara family, Catal Rhythm."

"Thank you." The five managed to respond. They were all in shock somewhat, as they never expected that lengthy sentimental speech. Kise, being his usual drama queen self, was almost close to tears.

"However," The President cut back in. "Because you boys didn't go through the standard process that idol trainees do, you'll be required to do them while you work. So, in between whatever time you have, you'll be learning song composition, choreographing, and other languages."

Seeing the distraught look on their faces, Kenji quickly said, "You won't be learning them all at once. Don't freak out on me."

"Plus, after a short while, once your instructors can identify who has the skill in whichever area, only that person will be studying it. For example, Kise-kun is shown talent as a songwriter while Takao-kun shows his talent as a choreographer. Thus, Kise-kun will be the only one learning song composition while Takao-kun learns choreography. Understood?"

"Hai!"

"That's all I have to say for now. It was a pleasure meeting you five."

"Likewise."

Kenji and the bunch quickly exited the room, and the moment that the door was shut behind them, they exhaled a breath of relief.

"Man, I thought that the President would have been a scary old man. He's pretty nice, isn't he?" Takao said.

"Yeah," Kise agreed. "Though, I wonder who Kenji gets his cruelness ―" the blond broke off as a hand covered his mouth.

"Don't say it." The captain said with a look of worry on his face. "I swear, I can't manage any more strenuous activity. I'm still sore, you know?"

"Hmm? What was that?" Kenji asked with a smile as he looked at his boys. "I could've sworn that I heard my name."

"It wasn't me." All five gave out.

"Do you want us to die?" Kagami whispered indignantly.

With a hum, Kenji led the boys towards the stairs (much to their displeasure) and had them descend. They walked until they reached the fourth floor. The doors in the hallway were the same colour, in opposed to the third floor that had different door colour for each. Kenji walked to the middle of the hallway, before knocking on the white door.

"You're going to meet the other members of your 'dream team'." Kenji said with a grin.

"Other members? Did we meet any before?" Kasamatsu asked. "I don't remember any."

Kenji pretended to be hurt. "I'm a part of it. Aren't I your loveable and hardworking manager?"

"I don't know about the loveable part, but you are hard working." Takao said. A dreadful silence enveloped them before Kenji whipped out his phone. He typed speedily at the screen, all the while chuckling darkly to himself.

"Takao!" the other four ended up screeching. Kise was tearing up. Knowing Kenji, he was probably setting them up to get slaughtered by Hikaru.

Kenji then knocked on the door and shouted, "Yo! Are you in there?!"

Catal Rhythm raised their eyebrows as it seemed too casual. But, they then blew it off as Kenji being Kenji; after all, he seemed quite friendly with almost everyone he came across.

"Of course, you brat!" a voice snapped from the other side of the door. He seemed a bit angry. Just then, the door swung open with a force, revealing a young blond man (who still looked older than Kenji), dressed semi-formally. He was as tall as Kagami, and just as thick.

"Hello to you too," Kenji smiled, totally unfazed. He then waltzed into the room and not wanting to be left behind, Catal Rhythm followed suit. They greeted the angry blond man at the door and scurried in.

Inside was…neat?

Chairs were neatly stacked in one corner of the room while their corresponding desks were placed beside them single file. On top of these desks were colourful lidded cardboard archive boxes. Some of these boxes were red, white and orange, with a sole one being pink. Strangely, even though the room was not arranged, the chairs and desks were neatly placed.

"Hello, everyone!" Kenji perked. "These five boys are Catal Rhythm, please take care of them. They're quite the handful."

"We're pleased to meet you!" they chorused with a bow.

"I'm Sato Kiyotaka. I'll be your Booking Agent." said the blond man from earlier. He seemed to have calmed down, as there was a genuine smile on his face. "And forgive us for our workspace. We're in the midst of changing things around…" he then gave a venous stare to the other men who were by the window. "…because _someone_ kept bitching about having a modern contemporary workspace and _someone else_ agreeing."

"Well, excuse me for voicing my strong personal opinions in a free country." One of the men by the window quickly countered. He was as tall as Kenji and had wavy black hair and dark eyes. He was a bit baby-faced, and neither of the boys could figure out his age. He then walked up to Kenji and Catal Rhythm,

"I'm Watanabe Ren. I'm your publicist." He smiled. "And Kenji's best friend. Pleased to meet you."

"That's right, let the scheming bastards unite." Sato scoffed as he headed further into the room. "You're in for a _real_ treat Catal Rhythm." He added with a laugh. Kenji and Ren reassured the boys that Kiyotaka was just being dramatic, but knowing Kenji, Catal Rhythm had a feeling that the man was right.

"I'm Ito Nobuzane. I'm your producer." Another said with a bow, taking them out of their thoughts. To Catal Rhythm, he seemed the most ordinary out of the bunch. "I'll be overseeing and managing your music."

After the boys did their introductions, they decided to help Kenji and the others set up. The whole thing ended up being fun; the males getting frightened almost every minute by Kuroko. In addition, Catal Rhythm chatted with their 'dream team' about varying topics, and not just music. Kasamatsu and Kagami ended up getting teased about not ever having a girlfriend; Ren broke out in tears because Kuroko told him that people think he's a ghost and run from him. Takao and Kiyotaka broke out in song; the latter's voice sounding extremely terrible.

When everything was done, Kenji sent the pictures of the boys sleeping to everyone. The men had a field day. While Ren howled with laughter, he made a statement that had Catal Rhythm quivering:

"Hurry up and get famous, 'cause the moment you do, these pictures are gonna be posted!"

At that, Catal Rhythm believed that what Kiyotaka had said was right; Kenji and Ren are scheming bastards.

_xxxx_

"I can't believe that we're actually idols!" Takao squealed in joy. "You know, this has never crossed my mind! I've never imagined myself being an idol!"

"Well, I've imagined myself being a bassist in a rock band or a musician before." Kasamatsu said, taking a sip of his drink.

"You have?!" the boys shouted, gaining the attention of the customers. At the moment, they were in Maji Burger since they had no other plans for the day.

"Well, yeah, I play the guitar remember?" He said with nonchalance.

"I've been wondering for a while now, is it just me, or does Kurokocchi actually looks good with dark hair?" Kise asked out of the blue. It was totally off their current topic and the others had to wonder about the sudden change. But, throwing that aside, they stared at the once-light-blue haired teen. Kuroko continued to sip his milkshake without a care in the world.

"I admit he does." Kasamatsu said, before turning to look at Kise. "And so do you. It's a great change to your blinding hair colour."

"Ah, I know, I know. Lots of my fans complimented me about it." Kise grinned.

"You posted a picture? How crazy are you?!" Kagami shouted. "Even I have more sense not to!"

"Huh? What's wrong with it?"

"You say that your fans are suspecting that you're Sunn, right? We performed at the festival with dyed hair, and you posted that same dyed hair! Obviously, people are going to say it's not a coincidence."

The colour from Kise's face drained. "No!" the blond howled out in anguish. Quickly, the blond deleted the post, hoping that his fans hadn't saved the picture.

Kise made a pout, "this is terrible. I can't even post a picture anymore? This is the worst."

"No it isn't." Kuroko piped in. "What's worst is if Kenji-san doesn't bring us to the hairdresser. Obviously we can't turn up to school looking like this right?"

"Kurokocchi, you do realize that school is tomorrow, right?" Kise deadpanned.

"Oh shit!" Takao said as he rose to his feet. "I had English homework!" he then grabbed Kagami in the collar. "You've got to help me, Mr. Returnee!"

"Oi! I'm not done with my burgers!" Kagami shouted trying to resist Takao's pull. However, the two were saved by Kuroko's quick thinking. He told Kasamatsu and Kise to help him carry these burgers while Takao hauled Kagami. And as such, while grabbing the attention of everyone, the five boys left the establishment to help Takao with his homework.

"Oh, you know, I think I had homework, too." Kise said. "But I can't remember if it was Math or Social Studies."

Kasamatsu glared at the model, "You better pray it's Math because I'm _not_ helping if it's Social Studies."

"Senpai!" Kise wailed out.

While everyone else was concerned about homework, Kuroko was just upset that he has Kagami's burgers and was unable to drink his milkshake.

"This is unfair." He mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	16. At School With Dyed Purple Hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All segments mentioned are taken from a real variety show called "Weekly Idol".

 

"Man! This is unbelievable!" Kagami sighed as he stuffed his hair underneath the cap. He didn't want to leave a single strand out.

"Kagami-kun, why are you doing that?" Kuroko asked, zipping up his gakuran. "There's no need for you to hide your hair. Students won't even think you're an idol much less _Taiga_ of Catal Rhythm."

"What makes you think that?"

"Your animalistic personality." Kuroko deadpanned.

Takao nodded. "That's right, Tai-chan." He was busy putting on his socks. "If our own teammates didn't think it was possible, what makes you think that a complete stranger would?" he then added, "Well, Ryo-chan is the exception. He's got to hide that hair carefully."

The three boys burst with laughter. They were currently getting dressed for school, while Kise and Kasamatsu were in the kitchen. Since the former three had school in Tokyo, Kasamatsu was in charge of cooking breakfast and their bento (he makes sure that Kuroko is eating healthy these days) while Kise cleans up.

However, in the evening, Kagami cooks while Takao mixes their drink; Kuroko…finds something to do if dinner doesn't entail boiled eggs.

"Care to share the joke?" Kise asked as he walked in. "I want a good laugh too before I head to my doom."

"We were just laughing at your soon-to-be demise." Kuroko said in his usual monotone. Of course, this had everyone cracking up with laughter. "Good luck, Kise-kun."

"I'm going to need it." He groaned out. At this moment, Kasamatsu entered the room to find the boys chatting and laughing.

"Senpai! Could we stop by a shrine before we head to school!?"

"Why?" the captain asked.

"Because I need divine protection!"

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes and took up the beanie off Kise's bed. He then proceeded to hide his hair underneath it and after some seconds, Kise's dark-purple hair was nowhere to be seen.

"All you have to do is say that you can't show your hair in public because it's for a photoshoot that you'll be doing later in the week." He said. "But I don't know how you'll hide your eyebrows." He mumbled. Still, unlike their hairs, only Kise, Kuroko and Kagami's eyebrows were dyed black to match the hair somewhat.

"Thank you Senpai!" Kise wailed and lunged for the captain. However, with a quick side-step, the boy crashed face-first into the wall.

"Now, aren't you three leaving? You have a train to catch, don't you?"

With that, the three Tokyo-bound boys dashed through the door and with a shout from Kasamatsu telling them their bento were on the table, they grabbed them and headed through the door. Thirty minutes later, Kise and Kasamatsu were fully dressed and ready since they now live even closer to Kaijou than before.

They strolled out of the apartment complex in a fair pace, heading to the bus stop. And although there were many people about, no one suspected them which they were grateful for. Since the apartment complex was owned by Aihara, most people (if not all) knew that all their idols lived there until they want to move out. But due to the other floors being inhabited by normal people as well, Catal Rhythm were safe from suspicion.

Ten minutes later, the bus arrived, and the two boarded. It was a fairly peaceful ride to school, most of the commuters travelled by train so the buses tend to be quite scant. Kise enjoyed this, as previously, he'd have to be (trying) hiding from fan girls and so forth. Now, he can relax.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come to school until after Wednesday." Kise groaned, slumping in his seat as they neared Kaijou's stop.

Kasamatsu chuckled as he knew the reason for Kise to make that statement. Yesterday evening after they've returned from home, Kenji came with a surprise. Apparently, Ren had started his work quite early, and got them on a variety show. Upon hearing the news, Kagami nearly fainted. He did not want to do embarrassing things on national TV. It was also the reason why Kenji hadn't brought them to the hair dresser to get rid of the dye.

"You'll be fine. As long as you pretend that the beanie is your original blond hair, then you have nothing to worry about."

"But I'm self-conscious!"

"Then don't be. A couple hours won't kill you."

"Senpai!" he wailed.

"To fool your enemies, you must first fool yourself." He intentionally misquoted in hopes of helping Kise. When their stop came, Kise was a bundle of nerves. Kasamatsu found it ironic, Kise was able to perform two songs with difficult choreography in front of a crowd of 30,000 with ease, yet, mixing with his schoolmates is leaving him shaken.

"Remember Kise, to fool your enemies…"

"I must first fool myself." He finished. He then paused. "Senpai, that makes no sense."

"I tried." Kasamatsu shrugged.

The two boys walked inside the schoolyard, and so far, the reaction was typical for the most part. For those who hadn't seen Kise's face, couldn't tell who he was from behind, or from a sharp angle; but for those who could, they'd look at him with confusion. Kasamatsu could see that those students probably saw the black eyebrows, but weren't really paying attention due to the beanie he wore.

A couple walked up to him asked about it, and well, he told them the lie with suave. If Kasamatsu hadn't been a member of Catal Rhythm, he would have thought that it was the truth.

"I didn't know you could lie so smoothly," he joked.

"When you're in this industry, it's a weapon that'll need constant sharpening."

"I'll take note." Kasamatsu headed off to his classroom, while Kise went to his.

On that note, the moment Kise sat in his seat, he was swamped with questions, especially about two things, his beanie and the hair he posted online. Once more, Kise replied with utmost confidence,

"My hair is done for a shoot and I can't reveal it just yet. And the picture I posted…" he trailed off. "…I was playing around with photoshop. I wondered what I'd look with purple hair like my friend Murasakibaracchi. I also did a green one, a red one, and a blue one."

"Really!? Can we see it?!" the girls shrieked.

"I don't have it on my phone." Kise deadpanned. Afterwards, the girls dispersed but the classroom was enveloped in chatter yet again. And the hot topic just happened to be the Aihara Music Festival. At the inception, the (then) President strategically chose the date, being that there was no other event happening at the time. Which meant, people are going to be talking about it, and it alone.

Kise heard many shrieks following Starburst's name, D:FI actually had most of the guys loving their début song ― _Trespass_ due to its hard hip-hop beat. Kise himself had watched the video and had admitted that it was some strong stuff. As for them, people were busting their brains trying to figure out who was who. They didn't care for anyone except "Yuki" and "Sunn" who attended Kaijou.

Of course, the speculation that he was Sunn never ceased, and Kise could only smile at their deductive abilities.

"You guys should really become detectives in the future. If you keep this up, Japan will definitely be a better place." He murmured to himself.

He continued his eavesdropping, occasionally stifling down his laughter whenever they spoke about "Yuki". In _Baby,_ Kasamatsu was mostly at the front during the chorus, as Hikaru had stated that he needed to come out of his shell. Girls continued to gush about how "awesome" and "smexy" he looked while dancing and how "tantalizing" his voice was.

Kise was dying on the inside. His Senpai was leaving the female populace weak and he wasn't even trying. Somehow he was glad, probably Kasamatsu will end up having more fans than him. After all, Kise has too much already.

They then started on Takao and Kagami's cases, commenting that their rap parts were good, Kuroko's dancing was "out of this world". When they reached "Sunn", all they could argue about was whether or not he was Kise-kun.

Kise laughed at them, and prayed that they dropped it. They won't know until they reveal their identities, so it's a fruitless venture. But apart from that, Kise heard some really good comments, ranging from their music video "Hello" and their other songs such as "Baby", "Replay" and "Juliette".

"I wonder how Senpai is faring?" he said to himself.

_xxxx_

Kasamatsu entered his classroom like usual, but before he could even sit, his classmates were asking about the hat. With a grim smile, he replied,

"Gum."

And from that one word, the questions stopped, as everyone knew what happens when gum gets stuck in one's hair. He took his seat and relaxed, but the moment he did so, his ears caught wind of a conversation.

"I swear, I think I'm falling for Catal Rhythm!" one girl shrieked. "I went to Ai-Fest, and honestly, their dancing was amazing!"

"More like insane! _Baby_ had me gaping!" another joined in.

"But I liked their intro though." Said a third. "I _love_ Sunn-kun and Taka-kun! They are hilarious!"

"I know right?!" Girl B said. "What had me laughing the entire time was when Sunn-kun was talking about Sora-kun, and how he dropped into the basin of politeness! Like, what the hell!?" she cracked up with laughter.

"I liked when Yuki-san countered Taka-kun saying that if he wanted to keep all his teeth, he should shut up!" Girl C said. "He even had his foot ready to kick him!"

"I love them all." Girl A smiled. "I don't know, but in comparison to D:FI and Starburst, I feel like they're more real, you know? Like they're relatable or something."

Kasamatsu's eyebrow rose. He was tempted to go over and ask, but then they'll know that he was listening. Well, they weren't exactly whispering either. Still, he kept quiet and continued his eavesdropping. Girls can be quite funny sometimes.

_xxxx_

Over by Shutoku, Takao was facing something similar to Kasamatsu. The moment he entered through the school gates, he was questioned about the head-wear. With fake tears streaming down his eyes and dramatic acting (he made a note to thank Ichinose-sensei), he lied that he had contracted head lice when he went to the hairdresser. While sympathizing with the boy, his classmates and schoolmates made sure to keep their distance. Even though Takao wore a beanie, they were still fearful that they'd catch it too.

And like that, Takao escaped even before the harassment started. He knew what his friends were like, before they asked questions, they would have yanked his beanie right off.

By the time he entered the classroom, the news of his head lice had already reached, causing Takao to whistle in astonishment. They weren't playing. He sat peacefully in his seat, once again listening to the conversations of the students. The last time he found it quite funny, and this time, he planned to record, given that they spoke loud enough.

"I swear, D:FI's Trespass is something else." One boy said as he walked through the door. "That 'Knock-Knock' though..."

"I know right?" Another joined in. "I went to Ai-Fest, so hearing it live was a mind-blower! Kyouya killed it."

Takao had to remind himself that Hirose uses his christian name for his stage name. When he first heard it, he found it hard to believe that Hirose's name was Kyouya. He didn't seem like a 'Kyouya' at the time. But he had to agree with the boys, Hirose was a damn good rapper.

"But enough about guys, Triple Threat were totally hot! I was so jealous when those guys got to take selfies with them!" Boy C said. "Dammit!"

"I think the ones who stole the show were Catal Rhythm. I think they're a bunch of lovable dorks." A girl joined in their conversation. "I like them."

The three boys deadpanned, "We don't. They're males."

"But you like Perfect 5th and Diverse though." another girl joined. She smiled evilly as she said so, sitting on top of Girl A's desk.

"That's because they're Perfect 5th and Diverse!" they countered.

"But anyway, I wonder why Catal Rhythm doesn't have any reality shows or anything? I wanna see what their faces look like, and how they behave around each other and everything!"

"Apparently, you haven't seen the cool masks on their faces." Boy A snorted. "There's obviously a reason for them, right?"

"Can't we ask Hattori-san? Isn't she a Latin dancer there? I bet she knows everyone who's débuting."

"That's right. She could probably tell us who Taka is."

Takao chuckled to himself at this. Even if they ask Aika, she won't tell them ―not because she can't, it's because she doesn't want to. Still, he was glad that no one suspected him, not even in the slightest. Given his jovial personality, and the fact that his schoolmates knows that he sings song covers, he thought that people may get suspicious.

"Well, as long as they don't figure it out, it's not my business."

_xxxx_

In Seirin, no one questioned Kagami about his dark-purple hair. They just thought that he was going through a phase or something, in terms of Kuroko, no one noticed him. It made sense, when he had his (natural) light-blue hair no one did, so the same thing would happen with his dark-purple hair.

At one point, the students who did manage to run into him, assumed that the dark-purple was his natural hair colour given how it looked on him. With a smile, he quickly evaded them like a ghost, and that day, there were rumors flying about a purple haired ghost.

Not that Kuroko minded.

In their classroom (and by extension the school) they've been hearing discussions about the Ai-Fest, and the other groups. A lot people were gushing about Perfect 5th and Triple Threat of course, but when it came onto the débutants, there were a lot of mixed reactions.

Kagami and Kuroko witnessed an argument between fans of Starburst and D:FI, and there were some music lovers who fell for Catal Rhythm and ended up debating about whether or not Catal Rhythm was better than the other début groups.

Sparks flew and swords clashed, but at the end of it all, everyone wanted to find out who "Taiga" and "Sora" were. At the mention, the students' eyes locked onto Kagami, whose given name was Taiga. Feeling eyes on him, the boy asked in a rather annoyed tone,

"What?"

Upon seeing that reaction, they all said, "Nah, there's no way it could be him. It's just a coincidence."

But, they have no idea how glad Kagami was that they came to that conclusion.

_xxxx_

After basketball practice, Catal Rhythm headed to the Aihara Complex to learn song composition from Akamine. It wasn't as terrible as they'd expected, since they had learned some aspects when Akamine was teaching them music. He taught them the basics and the three methods of writing songs: chord progression ―which entailed using "stocks" in music. An example of a stock would be in the key of C major ―A minor, D minor and G7. With these, the boys could either use these stock progressions as they are or modify them to create a different effect. For example, they could add other chords to the C major, thus making it A7-D7-G7-C major.

But, they hated this method. Somehow, they felt restricted, so Akamine introduced the second method to them: Melody. With this method, all they had to was start by creating a melody, melodic theme or a group of melodies. Once they have been created, the boys could add appropriate chords that can support the melodies. This method wasn't as bad as the chord progression, but it still wasn't their cup of tea. They liked creating the melody, but the chords were the issue.

Seeing his boys' distress, Akamine introduced the third method: free-playing. As its name suggests, it involves free playing of an instrument. The musician may simply play different chords and melodies at random, then build on the discovered lines. Immediately, they perked up at this, Kasamatsu grinning, glad that this was in his domain.

With that change in their attitude, Akamine then said, "You want to try out the free playing method?"

"Hai!" They chirped, Kagami grunted his response. Although, there was some hint of eagerness in his face.

"Okay, follow me."

Akamine and the boys moved out of the room and into a music room. A black piano was nestled in the furthest of the room, by the window. Akamine sat, poised and ready to play.

"Whenever I play, you'll sing anything that comes to mind." he said.

"Anything?" the boys asked.

"Are you sure about that?" Kagami asked, scratching his cheek. "I mean, won't this end up being a bit jumbled?"

Akamine smiled. "It's only the beginning. It doesn't matter if the ideas are jumbled and all over the place." He then played a chord and said, "So, sing boys!"

And as such, their free playing session started, and after a couple of chords, Akamine was stifling down his laughter and fighting to play the piano properly. Although he told them to sing anything that comes to mind, it really was a mess. Kagami could only think about basketball, Takao's lines consisted of various things that he didn't even question, Kise was as random as they got ―from flowers and ice cream to intense basketball matches and teeth gritting, Kasamatsu was normal and tried to stick to one main idea, Kuroko used lines out of the novels he's read.

Thus, Catal Rhythm's first ever song was a complete disaster.

_xxxx_

After their song composition, they headed over to where Kenji was. The office was quiet and peaceful, albeit a little chatter here and there. All the men present seemed extremely busy and hadn't even realized when Catal Rhythm walked in. Upon greeting their "dream team", they immediately headed over to Ren's cubicle. Kenji had messaged them prior that Ren was the one who wanted to see them.

"How are you doing?" he asked with a grin.

"Fine," they responded.

"Although I'm a bit worried. They won't let us do anything embarrassing, right?" Kagami voiced out. He's seen a couple variety shows with Takao and Kise, and those were really embarrassing.

Ren laughed. "Well, whether or not it's embarrassing is up to you." He then handed them each a sheet of paper. He grinned at them. "Those are the questions that you'll be asked. Good luck!"

When the five boys saw what was on the paper, their eyebrows rose in confusion. The segment with the questions were at the last part of the show. The opening segment had them doing something called "Profile Verification" which as the name sounds, had to prove what was written on their profiles. Well, they had nothing to hide (except their faces).

Another segment was the "Random Dance Challenge" where they had to dance to different songs with the appropriate choreography. That didn't seem too hard, since when they were learning dancing from Hikaru, he drilled them with routines from the different idol groups, not only from Aihara. But the third part, was where things got...embarrassing.

They had to make the female co-host laugh.

As a bunch of basketball players, they never made anyone laugh wholeheartedly, well not intentionally. Takao and Kise were the only ones who seemed to be able to make this happen, but when the others saw them looking a bit pale, they figured: _if they couldn't do it, neither can they._

"You're joking right?" Kagami asked, his hands were shaking. "You're totally joking. Make the female co-host laugh? How are we going to do that?"

Ren shrugged, "Beats me. Think outside the box, boys!"

Catal Rhythm let out a depressed groan. Waving everyone else goodbye, they headed home, only stumbled into something...scary. At the front of the Apartment Complex was a crowd of females, most (if not all) were in uniforms. Figuring out that they were fans, Catal Rhythm didn't care why they were present. _They_ couldn't have gotten so many fans in such a short space of time. Plus, no one knew their faces or anything about them.

Reaching up to the crowd, Kasamatsu and Kuroko politely said, "Excuse me, you're blocking the entrance."

"So what?!" they snapped at them.

Both boys jumped back in fright at that attack. Kise gripped the fabric at his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. But Kagami would not have it. Walking up to them, he roared,

"What was that for?! We live here and we need to get in! What are you doing here anyway!?"

The girls turned around and screeched, "We don't care!" obviously ignoring his question.

Kasamatsu grabbed Kagami in his collar and pulled him back gently from the seething girls. With his phone out, he showed Kagami his screen before dialling the number. Kagami made a chuckle, Kise and Takao asking,

"What did he show you?"

"119."

Within ten minutes after the captain ended the phone call, the police showed up and cleared away the raging fans. It was then that Catal Rhythm realized that they were fans of Perfect 5th, D:FI and Starburst. Taking the elevator up to their house, the five boys all slumped into the sofa.

"Shit, I never knew girls could behave like wild beasts." Kagami said. "Are they possessed by an angry spirit or something?"

"You'll never know." Kise said. "Although I have my set of crazy fans, I've never seen them snap at anyone like that. They could have, but just not to my knowledge."

"This was the same thing that Kenji-san was talking about. That's why they had to use keys for the underground parking." Takao said. "Imagine that crowd getting into the building." he shivered in fright.

"I'm going to invest in some stun-guns." Kuroko deadpanned. "The girls were pretty scary."

The others nodded in agreement. Then, a silence befell them, as not only do they want to change that topic, they were tired.

"You know, I've been wondering," Takao started up. He looked to Kise. "How are you still alive?"

"Takao!" Kagami shouted as though the boy shouldn't have asked. He seemed a bit upset as well. "Why?!" He then looked across to Kuroko and back to the hawk-eyed boy.

"Why what?" he asked. He couldn't see the reason behind the redhead's behaviour.

"What are you talking about?" Kise asked, pushing Kagami away. He was sitting next to him. But before he could get an answer, he heard Kuroko say,

"Come on Kagami-kun, pay up."

Kagami muttered something inaudible before forking out the banknotes to Kuroko. Before anyone could ask, Kuroko quickly said,

"Kagami-kun and I had a bet about Kise-kun." he started as he counted the notes in his hand. "Whether or not Kise-kun will survive the day without looking like a mauled animal, and if his identity was still intact."

Kise screeched, "You _bet_ on that?! How could you Kurokocchi!?" The others were cracking up with laughter. "It's not funny!"

"Such is life, Kise-kun." The light-blue haired teen deadpanned. "Get over it. Plus, I won."

He stuffed the notes into his pocket before sitting back down. Kagami looked bitter and wounded at this and almost as though he wanted to tear up. Mumbling something about Kuroko being a swindler, Kagami got up and headed towards the kitchen to start dinner.

Kise was still pretending to bawl his eyes out at the fact that his Kurokocchi had actually made a bet on whether or not he'd end up mauled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	17. First Variety Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Song's mentioned/used** : Random Dance section ― Teen Top "Rocking", INFINITE "Back", Secret "Shy Boy"
> 
> Catal Rhythm: SHINee "Juliette"

 

"I think you can take a break now, guys." Aika said as she turned off the music.

"Okay," Catal Rhythm hummed as they sat on the floor. Currently, they were in the practice room, going through the routine for one of their songs "Juliette". At the variety show shooting tomorrow, they would be performing it, so they decided to refresh their memories. Kenji was gone with Ren to do something that he said would be a "surprise", Hikaru was busy choreographing for other companies, so they were left to their own devices. Since Takao and Aika often time came to the Complex together, she decided to watch them dance.

"Say, Ai-chan," Takao started. "Do you know how we can make a female laugh?" The others perked up. They were still at a loss, so this seemed to be a very good chance to get some insight.

"I don't know." She shrugged. Catal Rhythm groaned in anguish. "I mean, each girl is different. Some may laugh at simple things while it takes a joke to make others laugh."

"We're doomed." Kasamatsu said in distress. "And Google isn't being helpful either!"

Aika laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you'll find a way by tomorrow. Good luck!" She then got up and headed for the door, "I have dance practice so see you around!"

"Bye Hattori!" they chorused, although Takao said "Ai-chan".

As such the boys were left alone to ponder on what to do. The shooting of the show is tomorrow, and they had no idea of what to do. In regards to everything else, they deemed that they could handle it and had already prepared their answers.

"It's as Hattori said," Kagami started as he got up, "We'll figure out an answer by tomorrow. Maybe if we watch how she reacts to everything throughout the shooting, we can put two and two together and nail it."

"Wow, Kagamicchi just motivated me." Kise said in shock. "Now I feel fearless."

"You bastard..." he snarled at the model. "You wanna go, huh?!"

"No fighting now or else I'll kick you into oblivion." Kasamatsu snapped.

"Yes Sir!"

"Now let's get back to practicing, I don't want to embarrass myself tomorrow."

_..._

The next morning, Catal Rhythm got up early and went out for jogs. This was a normal routine ever since they began living together, as prior, they would jog in the mornings for exercise. Upon returning, they all assembled in their living room.

"Reiko-nee! What's up?" Kise perked as he answered the phone. The other boys were familiar with her since she was the one who had done their make-up and assisted Ruiko with their costumes for the competition way back.

Looking at Kise's face, they saw that his usual bright and cheerful look had disappeared into something grave and serious. He nodded, he hummed but he never said a word that could hint what their conversation entailed. After a minute or so, he hung up the call, and turned to Kasamatsu.

"Senpai, I need a favour." he said in all seriousness.

"It depends." The captain replied. "It isn't something outrageous?"

"No way," Kise waved his hand dismissively. "It's just, Reiko-nee asked me if I could help her."

Kasamatsu rose his eyebrows. Kise was beating around the bush. But, if it's Reiko, she was the only Kise who wasn't as annoying his blond ace. "What did she want?"

"She's graduating. And doesn't have a date." Kise said, fiddling with his fingers. "Could you go with her?"

Takao whistled in shock, Kuroko hummed a "Hmm?" and looked up over the top of his book, Kagami rested his cheek in his palm and grinned. It was no secret of how shy and nervous Kasamatsu was around the female gender.

The captain stuttered, "W-why me? Go ask Moriyama. He'll be willing to! And he'll do a better job!" he continued, "Plus, isn't she in her twenties?! Wouldn't that be awkward?"

Kise laughed. "Reiko-nee just turned eighteen, she's graduating from high school. Ruiko-onee-chan is the one who's twenty-four."

"No wonder she looked so young!" The others shouted.

"I was wondering why does Reiko seem so young but now it makes sense!" Takao said in realization. He then smirked at Kasamatsu. "She's just a year older than you Yu-chan! Or rather, couple months! You can do it! Good luck!"

Kuroko placed a hand on his shoulder, "Go for it Kasamatsu-senpai. Although I'll feel pretty sorry for you if you end up becoming Kise-kun's brother-in-law."

Kise perked in delight. "I've always wished that I had an older brother! Senpai would be perfect!"

"Wha…? What are you guys talking about?!" he asked, face red with embarrassment. He then turned to Kise and kicked him into the wall. "Reiko is a beautiful girl, why the hell is she still single?!"

Kise got up and folded his arms with a huff. "Because I don't want any ragtag scoundrel dating my sister. Neither does Papacchi."

"So…?" Kagami said as a prompt for him to continue.

"Any prospective guy she brings home, Papacchi and I do a thorough investigation. If they don't suit, we throw their asses out. Simple." he said with pride. "I have to protect my sister, you know?"

"But you're not the one who's going to date these guys, so why are you chasing away every boy?" Kagami asked. He was genuinely curious since he was an only child.

"Are you deaf? I don't want a scoundrel even near my sister. Breathing the same air as her is already a privilege. What more do they need?" Kise added, "You don't know how filthy these boys can get. Some want to date her just for her looks, some only for her status and money. Those filthy dogs." He spat.

"I know the feeling, Ryou-chan!" Takao nodded in agreement. "I had to save Kazue as well! God, if you ever saw the guy!" He shivered with disgust. "I _had_ to get my sister away from that thing!"

Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu blanched. The two boys were serious about their sisters. Referring to a guy as a "thing", they never knew Takao could get that terrible. In times like these, Kuroko and Kagami were glad that they had no siblings, Kasamatsu was glad that he had two brothers. He feels that he'd have had the same behaviour like those two if Mikio and Mitsuo were females.

"So how long will this thing go on for?" Kagami asked. "Reiko must get fed up at some point, you know?"

"Until Papacchi and I encounter a boy who genuinely loves my sister and is a proper gentleman."

Takao, Kagami and Kuroko looked to Kasamatsu as if insinuating something.

"Why are you looking at me?" He asked.

"Nothing~!" they sang. But Kasamatsu was no idiot. With a sigh, he said to Kise,

"I'll do it. But it's only because it's her and we're already familiar with each other."

"Thanks Senpai!"

"You aren't setting me up on your sister, are you?" he asked. Kise stiffened. "You chase away every guy she brings home, so this isn't a plot to free your conscience, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My conscience is always free." Kise said with a smile. Behind Kasamatsu, Takao, Kagami and Kuroko were dying with laughter. Especially Kuroko. He knows Kise the longest, and he was quite sure that Kasamatsu had hit the nail on the head with that statement.

"So, what do you guys want for breakfast?" Kise asked quickly to change the subject.

_..._

After school, Catal Rhythm were a bunch of nerves. It was almost time for the shooting of their first variety show appearance. Kenji drove them to the studio, after they had come home from school, they couldn't even attend basketball practice. To ease their nerves, Takao and Kise who were around the back, started singing, Kuroko read his novel, Kagami was watching something on his phone and Kasamatsu was listening to his favourite band.

Upon reaching the studio and reaching the set, they greeted the workers politely and watched as they set up.

"Oh man, I still haven't found a way to make the co-host laugh." Takao said, he was itching to rip out his hair, but he couldn't since it was neatly styled.

"Me neither!" Kagami said, fretting. "What am I supposed to do? I can't even make Kuroko laugh much less!"

Kuroko only looked up from his novel and gave him a smile. If only Kagami knew what was in store for him today.

"Calm down boys, you'll do just fine." Kenji soothed. But, he really wondered what they were going to do. After all, his boys are naturally comedic, they just don't realize it. "If anything, tell her a corny joke and pray that she laughs."

After the staff finished setting up, Catal Rhythm had to perform their song to ensure that the equipment were working properly. It was a success, but the boys felt as though they were counting down to their deaths. They then headed to the dressing room and waited until it was time.

Soon, the audience came in and settled in their seats, and not long after the host and hostess walked out. The man was dressed quite casually but at the same time, he looked pretty neat. The female beside him was in a short shorts and a green blouse. They sat on the chairs provided, and greeted the audience.

"Good day, everyone! How are you today!?" the male host ―Ryusei said with enthusiasm. The crowd let out a roar and clapped. "It's good that you're all happy." he said with a nod. "Today, we'll be having special guests, are you eager to meet them?"

The crowd hooted yet again.

"It's five of them this time," Ryusei said with a sigh of relief. "Last time we had a ten member group. How exhausting it was." he said fanning himself with the cue card.

"I know right?!" The female host ―Rise agreed. She then turned to the audience, "These five boys are an entirely new group under the Aihara label who created a stir at the recent Aihara Music Festival." she started, "Not only that, these boys are shrouded in mystery as no one knows their birth names, or their faces. Can you imagine that?" She said with a perk.

"I won't be able to see their faces? Why?" Ryusei asked for the audience.

"These boys only conceal their eyes so you can't know exactly who they are. Depending on the context, they may be seen in dark shades, or amazing laser-cut masks like the ones they wore at Ai-Fest."

Just then, a clip of them performing "Baby" at Ai-Fest appeared on the screen behind them, everyone "ooh"ed and "awe"ed at it.

"Interesting, interesting," Ryusei nodded.

"So, let's give a round of applause for Catal Rhythm!" Rise cheered.

Upon hearing their name, the five boys walked out onto the stage smiling and waving to the studio audience. However, underneath that façade, they were still worrying about getting the co-host to laugh. Women are strange creatures, and even though Kenji advised them to tell a joke, they didn't really know any.

"Welcome, welcome, Catal Rhythm," Ryusei started, "It's a pleasure to have you here today."

"It's a pleasure to be here." Kasamatsu replied.

"Now should we hear Catal Rhythm's greeting to the viewers?"

"Move your feet to the rhythm of the beat! We are Catal Rhythm!" They said with a bow to the cameras.

Ryusei said with a pleased nod, "Man, they have a voice. Such a loud greeting. How do you feel about their greeting?" he asked his female co-host.

"Very strong and welcoming, I must say." she nodded. "So, could you introduce yourselves for our viewers and audience?"

"Good afternoon, I'm the Main Dancer, Sora." Kuroko said with a bow. He made sure to speak before Takao and Kise started. He wouldn't want a repeat of Ai-Fest. "Pleased to meet you."

"Hello~!" Takao and Kise perked,

"He's got a beautiful yet powerful voice that'll blow you away and leave you trembling with delight, our Main Vocalist, Sunn!" Taka said with a grin, pointing stylishly in Kise's direction. Kise struck a pose and ran his hand through his hair.

"A pleasure to meet you!" Kise grinned. He then turned to Takao, "He can sing, he can rap, he can dance, man, he can do everything! He's our Vocalist and Lead Rapper, Taka!"

"Hi~!" Takao said as he waved innocently.

Kasamatsu face palmed. They really were idiots. But before they could start on his case, he quickly said, "Good day, I'm Yuki, Leader of these idiots and Vocalist. Pleased to meet you."

"Senpai!","Yu-chan!" Kise and Takao shrieked. "We're not idiots!"

"I beg to differ." Kagami came in and said. "Hi there, I'm Taiga, Main Rapper. Nice to meet you." At the end of it, he let out a low growl, sounding like a lion's dominating purr.

"Kyaa! Taiga!" Kise and Takao teased, mocking the behaviour of fangirls.

"Continue with that and you'll definitely leave the females weak!" Takao guffawed.

"Shut up!" Kagami snapped.

"Now let's have a fun time together!" Ryusei said with a clap to get their attention. The audience hooted their excitement.

"The first part we'll do is "Random Dance"!" Rise said in glee. "First, we will play random music, the person who is confident gets up and starts dancing. Simple enough, right?"

"Hai!" the boys chorused. Actually, this was the one other part that they worried about. They didn't know which music they were going to play and they prayed that they didn't play any girl group songs. None of them knew how to dance to those songs, and even if they did, they weren't going to.

_It's no joke, it's no joke, it's no joke,_

_We are really no joke,_

_It's no joke, it's no joke, it's no joke,_

At this, everyone jumped up and started to dance to the song. They were glad that this song was one that they knew, and silently thanked Hikaru in their hearts. They got in a straight horizontal line and continuously made steps forwards and backwards while swaying to the music. Then, they shook their legs after which the music continued into instrumentals. At this point, they jumped, but when they landed, they crossed one leg over the other before twisting and kicking one foot outwards. They continued this dance, moving all over the place. The song was "Rocking" sung by a male group called "Tensei".

Suddenly, the music changed to Perfect 5th's "Back".

_Come back, I want you back, back, back, back, back_

They scrambled into position; Kise, Kasamatsu and Takao were at the front while Kuroko and Kagami were behind them. Bringing down their hands after which they turned slightly, they entered the routine. With a thumb continuously pointing over their shoulders, they made small steps backwards. Then, they changed directions and turned their bodies to the left, and did a small body roll as their hands came down.

Again, the music suddenly changed to Starz's "Shy Boy" and what happened next left everyone busting with laughter. All five boys promptly returned to their seats, and sat as if there was no music playing.

"It's quite an upbeat song, isn't it?" Kise said as he tapped his feet to the beat.

"Yeah, and catchy too." Kasamatsu added.

"Aren't you going to dance?" Ryusei asked, this act was unprecedented. All the boy groups before them had danced to girl group songs.

"No." they replied.

"That's a female group and we're males." Kagami said in a matter-of-factly. "We're not dancing to that."

"That's right, as you can see, there is a lack of booty in this group." Kuroko deadpanned, pushing his dark shades up his nose bridge. "Can't shake what we don't have." Without being able to hold it in, everyone erupted with laughter at his statement. As for Kenji, he was watching and roaring with laughter. Kuroko was so unpredictable it's funny. What made it worse, this song has no "booty shaking" in it.

The music suddenly stopped, seeing that the boys weren't dancing and the hosts were laughing. When everyone calmed down, they headed into their next segment, which was the "Profile Verification". This segment went fairly smoothly, and without Catal Rhythm being their crazy selves. Kuroko proved that he could do magic tricks, which was just utilizing his misdirection beautifully. Takao proved that he could do backflips, Kise showed that he could really copy anything and had beaten the Ryusei in a dance off. Kasamatsu and Kagami didn't participate because there was nothing worth verifying.

And lastly, the moment they prayed would never come, came, "Make the Female Co-host laugh." She had been in a good mood ever since Catal Rhythm opened their mouths, and now she was eager as to what they'll do. Staff brought out a table with props ―a red rose, bunny ears, among other things were on this table.

"Alright, now boys, are you ready?!" Ryusei asked with a smile. "Next segment, Catal Rhythm will fight for my precious Rise's love!" he said to the audience but then pretended to sniff. He turned to face Rise with a pout, "We've been together for two hundred and ninety episodes, could it be that you're tired of me already?"

Rise pat his shoulders and looked solemn. "Yes."

Catal Rhythm stifled down their laughter. Her face looked as though she would have said "no" or something along the lines of "I could never get tired of you". But, what a surprise.

Ryusei then looked to Catal Rhythm, "You guys will have to find a way to make Rise-chan laugh, and thus, win her heart! She likes men who are funny."

Catal Rhythm blanched while Rise laughed and used her cue card to swat Ryusei.

"It's easy right?" he asked Rise.

"Yeah, it should be." Rise smiled.

"Whoever makes Rise-chan laugh the most will win." Ryusei pointed out. He then turned to Rise. "So, how will you judge?"

"It's nothing special. Just make me laugh." she said with an innocent smile.

"Ano," Kuroko started. "I already made everyone laugh earlier, can't that count?"

"Soracchi!" Kise shrieked, rising to his feet. "Don't try to cheat!"

"See?! I told you!" Kagami stood up and shouted. "That's how he is!"

"I'm not." he answered in a monotone. "I'm just making things easier for me. What's wrong with that?"

Chuckling at their antics, Ryusei said, "So are you guys ready?"

"Hai!" they said, even though they weren't.

"Before you is a table full of props, if you want, you can use it to your advantage. Good luck!" he said with a thumbs up. "So who's first?"

Kuroko got up.

"Ah, Sora-kun. Which prop will you use?" Ryusei said, rubbing his hands together.

"None." Kuroko replied. "I'll use Taiga-kun."

"Eh?" Kagami said.

"Don't worry, I just need you to stand here." Kuroko said with an innocent smile. Kagami reluctantly got up and headed to his shadow. Then, doing what he does best, Kuroko disappeared, heading off the set to Kenji in the wings. The manager then pulled out Nigou out of the bag, and handed him to Kuroko. Meanwhile, those on the set where wondering where the boy vanished to.

Suddenly, Kagami felt something furry wiggling on his hand. Turning to see Kuroko and Nigou, he let out a manly shriek.

"Let me show you how high a tiger's voice can get." Kuroko said to Rise. Kagami bolted away from him, from everyone, seeming to be heading to the corner of the set. Climbing up on one of their chairs, Kuroko held Nigou in his leash before whispering to the dog, "Go, attack."

And threw the dog at Kagami.

Nigou landed perfectly on his back and that moment, was the first time Catal Rhythm heard Kagami scream. Nigou wiggled and squirmed, Kagami kept shrieking and trying to get the dog off him. Rise was cracking up with laughter at their antics, and Kuroko let out a smile.

"I guess it's a job well done." he then called Nigou after which he handed the dog back to Kenji. Rise gave Kuroko a thumbs up, showing that he succeeded.

"Taigacchi is afraid of dogs." Kise said to enlighten them. He too had been roaring with laughter. Takao's eyes were red with tears of joy.

Ryusei looked over to where Kagami lay and back to Kuroko. "How evil."

"I want to go next!" Takao said with a perk. He took his chair and sat in front of Rise. "Why do hamburgers always go to the gym?"

Rise paused. "I don't know. To get beefy?"

"Pfft! No, to get better buns!"

Rise chuckled at this. It wasn't outright funny as Kuroko torturing Kagami but it did make her laugh. Takao then headed back over where he high-fived Kise and said, "Good luck!"

"Thanks," He said. He piped up and skipped towards Rise all the while trying to think up a joke. Seeing it work with Takao gave him confidence. "Do you know Harry Potter?" he asked, buying some time. Of course, everyone was perplexed at this question.

"Yes I do." she replied.

"Haven't you ever wondered how does Albus get in to Hogwarts?"

Rise paused. "Do you know?"

"The answer is quite simple, really." Kise smirked. "Through the Dumble-door."

Rise made a laugh. Since she knows the franchise, she got that joke quite well. When he was walking away he added, "You know, I read a book about Helium this morning. It was so good that I can't put it down."

Rise and the Ryusei laughed. Catal Rhythm and the audience as well. Takao was roaring, Kuroko was stifling down his laughter, Kasamatsu covered his mouth but his shoulders shook profusely. Kagami...he looked pretty pissed at Kuroko. To determine who goes next, Kasamatsu and Kagami did janken, and sadly, Kagami lost. He didn't know what to do, and he couldn't tell jokes either. So, he decided to go with the flow.

Taking up a bunny ears and the rose, he stood before Rise. "Umm, knock, knock. You have a gift."

"What kind of gift is that?" she asked as she opened the invisible door.

Kagami "stepped through" and said, "Me."

Rise stared at him. She wasn't laughing or chuckling or anything, just stared. Seeing that this wasn't getting better, Kagami roared to the others as a part of the joke, "Oi! You told me the wrong address!"

"Don't blame us for your failure!" Takao and Kise shrieked.

"You're the ones who told me this was her address! Admit it!" He continued. He then turned to Rise, "You need to change your security guard." he then headed over to Kise and Takao started to swing the rose as if it were a sword or something. Catching on, Kise said in an evil laugh,

"Mwahaha! You have fallen in my trap!"

"You bastard..." Kagami said as he looked at the rose in his hands. "What have you done?!"

"Taiga-kun, the Excalibur! What happened to it?!" Kuroko joined in.

"It's him! He tricked me and corrupted it!" He turned to look at Kise who was attempting to crackle like an evil mastermind. "But, no worries, good will always triumph over evil!" He then charged at Kise with the rose poised like a sword.

"Come Takacchi! Your strength is essential in conquering this beast!"

"Yes, My Liege." Takao said with a bow. Kagami wanted to laugh but he had to hold it in. Kasamatsu sat back and watched, all the while cracking with laughter. Kagami swung the rose but Takao came to the front in order to protect his "Liege". However, Kuroko grabbed him in the collar and pulled him to the side.

Kise managed to avoid Kagami but in that moment, Kagami threw the rose and the petals caught Kise.

"I..." The model started, he grabbed his chest and panted while staggering back. "...will have...my revenge..." And thus, he fell on the floor like a diva, pretending to be dead.

Rise had been dying the whole time, Ryusei was red from trying his best not to burst out, the audience couldn't contain themselves. Kenji, he was rolling on the floor.

Lastly, but not least, Kasamatsu.

Like Kagami, he was clueless. And he wasn't going to use the props either. As he strolled over to her, he was getting nervous, but he was still racking his brain for a way to make her laugh. Just then, a thought came to mind. He actually smirked.

"Rise-san," he started. "Could sit with your hands on your hips?"

"Yes..." she said, she didn't know where this was going. No one knew. Kasamatsu then walked up to her, and as much as he was a nervous wreck on the inside, on the outside, he looked bold and unshakeable. But what he did next, left his teammates crying foul.

He tickled her.

Using both hands, he tickled her sides until she screamed out laughing. And even so, he never stopped. Rise had to have tears streaming out of her eyes before Kasamatsu stopped. With a smug gesture, he looked at his teammates,

"Ha. I win."

"Cheater!" they screeched.

"Senpai! How could you?!" Kise screeched. "The rest of us had to struggle but you…!" he added, "Such treachery!"

"I didn't cheat! Nor am I treacherous! I remember clearly, we had to make Rise-san laugh! They didn't specify that we had to use a certain way or only the props!"

"Where's the producer?!" Takao was indignant. "How could you allow such an injustice?!" He turned to look at Kise and Kagami, "I suggest we burn him at the stake!"

"Be quiet!" Kasamatsu roared. "It seems like you want to sleep outside tonight!"

"Outside?! You wouldn't dare!" Kise gasped.

"Hoh? You want to test me!?"

And such, the boys were caught arguing with each other about who cheated from who didn't. Of course, Kuroko got caught up in this as well, Ryusei and Rise could only look at their bickering and burst out in laughter, the audience were roaring as well. Kenji grinned to himself. His boys really are special.

However, Kuroko jabbed them all their sides, causing to double over with agony. That's when they finally stopped.

Rise and Ryusei calmed down and announced that Kasamatsu won the challenge which still had the others seething (except Kuroko). But in all this, the two hosts were surprised at these boys. They didn't dance to Starz's song, and now they did this. It was refreshing to see something different from the norm, although it was a bit too frightening. Settling down, they entered into their final segment, the questions and answers.

"Social media has been acting up a lot with you guys, how do you feel about that?" Ryusei asked.

There was a moment silence before Kise spoke up, "Well, we feel delighted that people are interested in us. When they're interested, then they'll listen to our music more."

"That's right, Sunn-kun." Rise nodded. "But I do want to know what's the reason for your masks? I'm pretty sure that you're all handsome boys, so why are you withholding such a wonderful thing from the world?"

"There's one reason we wear masks, fangirls." Kuroko answered. "We're friends with a model and everyday he shows up to school looking like a mauled animal. We know within ourselves that we can't handle that. I'd probably get trampled."

Ryusei nodded. "I know, the fangirls these days are something else."

"On that note, Sunn-kun," Rise started, "There are many comments and pictures circulating on social media comparing you and Kise Ryouta-kun. Some are even speculating that you are Kise Ryouta-kun. Add to that, you attend the same school as he and is the same age. How do you feel about this?"

Kagami made a cough.

Kuroko cleared his throat.

Takao leaned back in his chair and looked at Kise smugly.

Kasamatsu couldn't care less. His ace knows when to be a fool from when not to.

"People are free to think what they want to, and I can't stop them. Until I reveal my identity, the speculation will continue."

"So you don't mind people are saying that you're Kise Ryouta-kun?"

"No I don't." Kise replied. "Because even if I did, they'll still speculate. So I wouldn't be able to escape."

"That's true. I wonder how Kise Ryouta is reacting to this?" Ryusei said with a laugh.

"I can imagine!" Rise joined in. Catal Rhythm wanted to laugh at their ignorance. Even Kise, he was shaking his head in amusement.

"So," Ryusei said to get back to their program. "What inspired you to become idols? Did you always have a love for music?"

They exchanged glances before Takao started talking, "We never imagined ourselves becoming idols, honestly. It started because of a competition on Seimei and from that we got scouted. On the other hand, Yu-chan's hobby is music and he plays the guitar."

"I see." Ryusei nodded. He then looked to Kasamatsu. "You play the guitar, huh? Have you ever thought of a musical career?"

"Yes, I do." Kasamatsu answered. "When I was younger, I've always envisioned myself as a bassist in a rock band."

Ryusei and Rise exchanged glances. This was an unexpected response. If he wanted to become a bassist in a rock band, how the hell did he end up as an idol? And a pop one no less.

"Are you serious?" Rise asked. "A bassist in a rock band?" She continued, "But you've become a pop idol, how…?"

Kasamatsu shrugged. "I guess being a bassist wasn't what destiny had in store for me."

"Ah, destiny..." Ryusei said with a nod, "...ruining the dreams of all ever since the beginning of time."

Rise laughed at his comment, "I've watched the broadcast of Ai-Fest, and I'm appalled at your dancing abilities. Great coordination, beautiful vocals...how long were you trainees for? Achieving such a feat is no easy task."

"Hmm...was it eight months or nine?" Takao said as he looked to the others for confirmation.

"It's about eight. If we start counting from June that is." Kagami said.

The two hosts were surprised. "Eight months?! Are you guys even human?!"

"I doubt it." Kuroko deadpanned. "Even we're wondering how we managed to make it possible."

"That's astonishing." Ryusei nodded in shock and awe. But he quickly recovered and said, "I've been watching you guys since you stepped on stage, and I realized that you're all close with each other. Given the short amount of time that you were trainees, is it that you've known each other prior?"

There was a pause. Although they didn't mind this question, it was not on the sheet that Ren handed them. Well, it was clear that it's impromptu.

"Yeah, we all knew each other before we became trainees." Kagami said, "Sora and I are classmates, Yuki and Sunn are schoolmates and in the same club and we met Taka elsewhere." he then added, "Sora and Sunn have known each other since middle school, so they're the closest."

"Really?" Rise asked. "That's pretty amazing. It's pretty rare for a group of friends to become idols, to even form the same group as a matter of fact."

Ryusei laughed. "I find it funny that everyone has some connection, but Taiga-kun said "they met Taka elsewhere". Like, one day they just ran into him." But Ryusei didn't press, he figured that wherever they met "Taka" they couldn't say.

They continued with a few more questions, and ended up bringing out a little bit of Catal Rhythm's craziness. Kagami made it known that Kuroko was a "swindler", who heartlessly conned him out of four-thousand yen. And for that, he and Kise broke out in argument, Kise defending his precious "Soracchi" and Kagami arguing that he's no angel. Especially since he threw Nigou on him earlier. Takao laughed wholeheartedly at their antics, Kasamatsu had to kick them for them to shut up.

Afterwards, for the closing of the show, they had moved to an adjacent set, specially for their performance.

"Which song will you be performing for us?" Rise asked.

"Juliette." Kagami responded.

"Hoh?" Ryusei smirked. "So, you lot are "Romeo", right?"

Catal Rhythm nodded with smirks.

"And without any further ado, here's Catal Rhythm with "Juliette"!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	18. First Solo Song Composition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kise: "Perfect Copy" (Character song Solo Series Vol.3)
> 
> Kagami: "Nakama no tame ni" (Character song Solo Series Vol.2)
> 
> Takao: "F.O.V" (Character song Solo Series Vol.5)
> 
> Kuroko Tetsuya: "Kimi ga hikari de tame ni" (Character song Solo Series Vol.1)
> 
> Kasamatsu: One Ok Rock ― "Wherever You Are" (Acoustic) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T5iKRwxcpA

 

The drive back to the Complex was boisterous, and all Kenji could do was laugh. They were still complaining about what Kasamatsu did, jealous that they didn't even think of such a simple way. Kise and Kagami were arguing about nonsense again with Kuroko occasionally putting his bits to set them off even more, Takao was singing.

When Kenji pulled into the parking lot, the boys hopped out with a bounce. Once again, they had song composition with Akamine, and after that, they had foreign language with Ichinose. At first, Kagami was at a loss as to why they needed to learn different languages but Ichinose had replied by saying:

"You're going to be a global star. Obviously, you'll need to communicate with your fans outside of Japan."

It made sense, and Kagami didn't mind learning a new language. The only problem he has was that it was so difficult.

Reaching into the music room, Catal Rhythm greeted Akamine who was sitting by the piano and scrolling through his phone. He smiled his greeting at the boys, and gestured for them to come over.

And as such, their song composition lesson began.

_xxxx_

"Alright, that'll be all for today." Akamine said with smile. "What I want you to do is write a song." Catal Rhythm flinched and blanched when he said so. "Calm down, one verse and a chorus would be enough."

"But, but, ―!"

"You can write about anything. Intense basketball matches, the feeling you get after making an epic slam dunk, your own basketball teams… there are so many things you can write about." the instructor said to ease their nerves.

"Oh." they all chorused.

"And lastly, keep it a secret from each other." Akamine grinned. "I want to see the looks of absolute shock on your faces." At this, the man had burst out laughing. Catal Rhythm sighed. Akamine was no different from Kenji sometimes, or even Ren. They thought to themselves, what they did to deserve this, but didn't dwell on it.

When they returned home, before they could even change their clothes, they heard their doorbell ringing. Takao went to answer, only to stumble upon Starburst.

"How may I help you?" he asked. It was only twice they saw Starburst ―when they were performing at Ai-Fest and when they were in the meeting with the President. So he was completely at a loss as to why all five were standing outside their house.

"Uh, can we come in and talk?" Jupiter asked.

"Sure, I guess." Takao opened the door wider to invite the boys. When the rest of Catal Rhythm saw them entering, all eyebrows rose. Neither had any idea of what would prompt them to visit, but they prayed that it wasn't something serious.

"Hello, I'm Jupiter and he's Mars." the silver-haired teen with beautiful green eyes introduced. Mars, who was standing beside him was his twin. Jupiter then turned to the rest of Starburst, "They're Solar, Nova and Atom."

Solar was a tall dark-haired boy with light brown eyes. He seemed to be on the same height as Kasamatsu. Beside Solar was Nova, who was as tall as Takao with curly red hair and grey eyes. Finally, was Atom, who had black hair and blue eyes and was as tall as Jupiter.

"Nice to meet you." Starburst said, after their introductions.

"Likewise." Catal Rhythm said, sounding a bit lazy.

"Well, we're here simply because we want to know which sport will you guys choose." Jupiter started.

"Since the President said we could write joint reports, we thought that all the groups could team up and make it easier." Nova said. His voice was deep. "Although D:FI is split equally between basketball and volleyball, and these two here chose badminton." He said with an eye roll at Jupiter and Mars. "We'd like to know which sport you'll be choosing."

Catal Rhythm paused. They didn't want to say anything that'll probably piss these guys off, after all, they had D:FI already dealing with.

"We play basketball." Kagami replied. "We're all regulars on our teams." The others nodded.

Starburst's jaws dropped in shock. They looked at each other before Atom spluttered,

"You're _all_ regulars?"

"Yup!" Takao perked. "Yu-chan is the captain of his team, Tai-chan, Tetsu-chan and Ryou-chan are their teams' aces."

"No..." they gasped in surprise.

"But, who's "Tetsu-chan"? I only see four of you here." Atom asked.

"Me." Kuroko said in his usual tone.

Starburst screamed in fright. All along, they never noticed him, and given how long they've been sitting there… the boys were now wondering if he was a ghost or they were getting blind.

"Ah, sorry, we didn't..." Nova began, Mars was busy fanning Jupiter back to reality.

"It's fine." he said with a smile. In fact, Kuroko wanted to erupt at their facial expressions.

But after they've calmed down, they realized that everything made sense. Since Nakajima complained that Catal Rhythm had things easy, the President suggested they joined a sport club. At first, they had wondered what did joining a sport club have to do with them, but hearing this revelation from Catal Rhythm completed the puzzle.

"So, while you were trainees, you were focusing on basketball as well?" Atom asked. "Wasn't that a bit…?"

"Yes we were." Kise replied. "But the basketball wasn't the problem. We never knew how to sing, dance, nor anything about music..."

"In a nutshell, we couldn't do a thing and had to learn from scratch." Kasamatsu sighed.

Once again, Starburst's jaws dropped. "Which meant, what we learnt in two years, you had to do it in a couple months?!"

"What are you guys?! Monsters?! Huh, are you monsters?!" Mars screeched, grabbing Kagami in his shirt. "Tell me! Which is it?!"

Frightened, Kagami froze up on the spot, as he'd never expected this reaction. If he wasn't thinking straight, he would have punched the boy squarely in his face. Mars looked harmless, and seemed like the quiet-type like Kuroko. Luckily, Jupiter calmed him down but the younger twin was still looking at Catal Rhythm with incredulity. Whilst they had to spend roughly two years learning singing, dancing, all the things that came with being idol, these guys, who were completely ignorant of everything, learnt in some months? Mars refused to believe it.

When he had completely calmed down, he placed a hand on Kagami's shoulder, "Tell me, how did you do it? Do you have hidden superpowers?"

Catal Rhythm bust with laughter.

"Now that's a first." Kasamatsu chuckled. "We have no superpower that we know of!" He covered his mouth to not burst out laughing. Meanwhile, the others were not holding back. Kise and Takao put Starburst to shame, Kagami was being his usual self, Kuroko turned his back to them and was stifling down his laughter.

"Alright, alright," Nova said to get back on track. "You guys don't have superpowers so can you stop laughing at us now?" In reality, he wanted to laugh at Mars' comment, but he couldn't do that to a fellow bandmate.

"So...what we were talking about again?" Kise asked with a chuckle.

Starburst looked at them with a deadpan expression. "Sports."

"Oh, what do you want to know again?" Takao asked. But before he could have gotten an answer, their doorbell rang, _again._ Kagami got up to answer it and saw that it was Amari and Hirose. When the two saw Starburst sitting in the living room with Catal Rhythm laughing at them, they didn't know what to think. It was for a fact that out of all the début groups, Catal Rhythm were close to only them. So it was a shocker to see the entire of Starburst here. Amari and Hirose followed behind Kagami to the living room, when they caught everyone's attention.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in." Atom said with a teasing slur. Catal Rhythm laughed once again. Kagami's name meant "Tiger" and tigers are cats. So, it seemed as though Atom was referring to Kagami.

"Uhmm," Hirose began. "I really don't like it when I see people laughing in my direction and I don't see what the joke is."

"Mars thinks that we have superpowers." Kagami deadpanned. "And that we're monsters."

"Oh." the two boys said in realization.

"So what are you two doing here?" Jupiter asked with a raised eyebrow.

Amari looked to Catal Rhythm. "We'd like to ask them to teach us how to play basketball."

Hirose added, "Since the new school year begins in April, we thought that we'd start learning all that we can from now."

Kise perked up, "Sure! I don't mind!" he then grinned in a rather sinister way. "And hopefully, we can face each other in a tournament."

Amari and Hirose flinched. "Oh hell no!"

"Amari-kun, Hirose-kun, calm down." Kuroko joined in. "It'll be fun."

"Fun?! Fun?!" Amari shrieked. "Are you insane?!"

"No, we're perfectly of sound minds." Takao grinned. "Don't be like that guys, playing intense basketball matches with your teammates is extremely fun."

"Unless it's against a scissor wielding psycho who'll gouge his eyes out if he loses." Kagami mumbled. Kise and Kuroko laughed at this, while Kasamatsu and Takao didn't. Since they didn't know what happened between Kagami and Akashi, they were just as lost as Starburst were. But leaving off that topic, they ended up talking about other things until the visitors left.

"Well, I guess that means after dinner we'll have to get working on our songs, right?" Takao said with a perk, "I wonder what Ryou-chan will write about!"

"Probably Kuroko." Kagami mumbled.

"No!" Kise denied. But when he saw everyone's eyes on him, he caved and said, "Maybe."

"Remember what Akamine-sensei said, we should keep it a secret." Kasamatsu sang. But then he grinned at them. "I already know what I'm writing about."

"No fair!" They screeched with pouts.

_xxxx_

The rest of the week ran off before the boys knew it, their school lives returned to some form of normalcy. Their basketball practices remained intense, and occasionally in Kaijou, Moriyama and Kobori would drop by. They had retired after the Winter Cup but that didn't mean they didn't check up on their kouhai every now and then.

By the time Friday came around, right after basketball practice, Kenji came and picked them up and then brought them to hairdresser. It was a fun experience, but the boys were relieved to have back their normal hair colour at the end of it all. Kise flipped his golden hair constantly and took many selfies the others.

Kenji shook his head and laughed.

They reached back home and the boys freshened up to head back to their song composition class with Akamine. Kasamatsu had brought his guitar along, much to the envy of everyone else.

As they got settled, Akamine began. "So, who's first?"

"Guys, you know what to do." Kasamatsu said. And so they did. They huddled around each other and did a round of janken and after they were done, the order was as follows: Kise, Kagami, Takao, Kuroko then lastly, Kasamatsu.

With a bounce, Kise pulled out his music sheet and cleared his throat. "I call this song " _Perfect Copy_ " and please don't laugh. I couldn't think of anything else to write about." He whined.

"Alright, alright." Akamine said with a soothing voice. "I won't laugh but you should know what your friends are like."

"Fine." Kise sighed. Takao already had a grin on his face, Kagami looked a bit teasing, Kuroko was as blank as usual, Kasamatsu actually gave him a thumbs up. With a pout, he began,

_It seems that you are talkative by those gestures, with one look I've taken it all in_

_Trying to joke with me at this level? I've almost exposed you just by looking at you_

_At the front and back of an image, I don't care where it comes from._

_Make it stimulating_

At the last line, Takao spluttered, Kasamatsu rose and eyebrow while saying "Hmm?!", Kuroko's brows furrowed and Kagami looked confused. Kise used all his willpower to ignore them and continue singing,

_Perfect Copy? No no, it's already overcome that_

_In one moment, it'll be mine_

_It's your style no no, it's already all mine_

_The original is overshadowed by the one that's sent back_

"I'm done. I can't take this anymore." he whined with tears rolling out of his eyes. "I need comfort Kurokocchi!" he said as he lunged for the light-blue haired teen. However, Kuroko quickly pushed back his chair and the blond crashed face-first into the floor.

"So what did you guys think?" Akamine asked.

"It suits him." Kasamatsu said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Although, the "make it stimulating" part is misleading." Takao mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Ha! I'll show you how it's done Kise!" Kagami smirked as he stood up. Holding up his sheet of paper, he said, "My song is called " _For My Friends_ " and I was thinking of my teammates and all our battles that we've been through. And I...umm..."

"You're getting sentimental." Kise deadpanned.

"Shut up!" he snapped. Kise stuck out his tongue in a teasing way.

_What exactly is victory, I've had change of heart_

_After it was pointed out to me, I couldn't help but grin_

_At the very moment a game ends_

_The genuine smiles we're able to show each other are the answer_

The others were dumbstruck. There was something about the redhead's voice that really pulled them into the song. They knew he could sing, but hearing this side of him was refreshing. He had a beautiful voice, and add to that, they could feel his emotions in the song.

_To become number one as a part of this team_

_How far have I come since the day I made this promise?_

"I feel you Tai-chan!" Takao said with sniffs.

Kagami ignored him and continued,

_What turned countless frustrations into springboards_

_Was how I drove my weak self forward_

_Together with friends who trusted me as their ace_

_Carrying the wish of jumping even higher_

Kagami stopped at grinned at his bandmates. He especially looked at Kise in a triumphant gaze, sending the blond almost into a rage.

"Nice, Kagami-kun." Akamine said with a clap. "So, what did the rest of you think? Kise-kun?"

Kise pouted. "It was good, I guess." he mumbled, not wanting to admit the truth. "And his voice was nice."

"It was very touching. And like Ryou-chan said, his voice was nice."

Kuroko looked at Kagami with expressive eyes. He was extremely moved by that song, since the redhead was singing about the entire Seirin team. It was extremely touching.

"So, who's next?" Akamine asked.

"Me!" Takao jumped up. "My song is called " _F.O.V_ " meaning " _Field of View_ ". Of course, it's about my hawk eyes."

_Come on now~ / I'm a little disappointed / you've gotta be on your guard_

_I'm pretty capable myself / You'll see soon enough_

_Lame feints like yours are so simple to read_

_Wo-o-o-oh / I told you it was pointless / Ah ―_

Listening to Takao, Kasamatsu could already imagine a beat for this and was slowly tapping his feet. Kise was tapping his fingers on the table top as though beating a drum. Surprisingly, it worked well with Takao's song and the two shared an amused grin.

_I'm more than just the partner of a prodigy_

_Besides, filling that role is tougher than you think_

_There's no escape, not even for that "shadow" / Everything is within my field of view_

_But if you still want to try your luck, then make sure you bring your A game_

_Come at me and put your pride on the line / Half-hearted plays are never gonna cut it_

_Whether it's a tricky play or a head-on attack / I can see perfectly in my field of view_

In the beginning of the last line, Takao used his falsetto twice for a perfect effect. Kasamatsu gave him a smug look, Kise gave him a thumb's up, Kuroko looked indifferent as always, Kagami nodded his head in approval.

Before anyone could say anything more, Kuroko stood up with his usual deadpan expression. "I wrote this song for Kagami-kun." he started, causing eyebrows to rise and Kise to burn with jealousy.

"But Kurokocchi, what about me?" the blond pouted.

Kuroko looked at him but didn't answer. "It's called " _Because you were the Light_ "."

_What is the meaning of existence? When you consider it carefully, it becomes a reason_

_If you and I meet, that reason will ultimately turn into hope_

_Count what you are lacking, knowing what is weak-minded is also freedom_

_But when you look bored, you're more honest than I thought you would be_

_We can, even when we are alone, do our best if we want_

_Possibilities than are born unknowingly_

_The stronger that your light becomes, the more freedom I can have_

_We'll confirm the strength that is being drawn out at this place_

_The more freedom that you are granted, the more my shadow stands out_

_We will not lose to a miracle, so call out the next hint_

While Kuroko sang, no one could speak. His voice was so soft and mellow. For Kagami, to hear that this song was written for him, he was moved. The lyrics described him and his relationship with Kuroko and if he wasn't strong maybe he would have been crying tears of joy.

So, when Kuroko sat all eyes looked to Kasamatsu. He had brought along his guitar for backing, but the boy was too nervous to start, as a matter of fact, he didn't want to.

"Can I go at another time?" He asked nervously.

"Why, Kasamatsu-kun?" Akamine asked.

"Because, I'm going to get teased." he admitted. "Everyone else sang about something basketball related, my song isn't."

"Aww come on, Senpai~" Kise began. "It's not as awful as my song, so you shouldn't fret."

"That's not the point." Kasamatsu sighed. But seeing that he couldn't escape from this and everyone looked at him with expectant gazes, he pulled out his guitar from its case and started to play. For about twenty seconds he played his guitar without singing, as if setting the mood.

_I'm telling you_

_I softly whisper_

_Tonight, tonight_

_You are my angel_

Hearing these lines, Kise twisted in his seat, upon realizing the theme of this song. Takao looked at Kasamatsu with a playful expression as though he was insinuating something. Kagami was just shocked at the note used in this song, Kuroko wore a knowing smile.

_I love you_

_Two become one_

_Tonight, tonight_

_I just say…_

Kise doubled his lips so as to not burst out, Takao leaned forward, this time he wore a mischievous smile. Kuroko's smile got wider, and Kagami sat cross legged and folded his arms with a smirk. Kasamatsu didn't look at them, as he had an inkling of their expressions.

_Wherever you are, I always make you smile_

_Wherever you are, I'm always by your side_

_Whatever you say, the feelings you're thinking_

_I promise you "forever" right now_

Kasamatsu played his guitar for a little bit more, before using decrescendo for the sound to fade away into a stop.

"The song is called "Wherever You are" in case you're wondering." he mumbled. Akamine looked at the boy and seemed to have become a bobble head. However, the other four boys were hot on his case.

"Senpai! That song was beautiful! Did you write it with anyone in mind?" Kise chirped. "It was a such a love song!"

"No, I ―" he was cut off by Kuroko.

"Maybe he wrote it for your sister, Kise-kun." he smirked. "After all, he did agree to be her date."

Kise gasped, "No..." but he wore a joyous grin on his face. "You wrote this song for my sister?! How nice!"

"No I didn't!" The captain denied strongly. It wasn't a lie, the song had just come to him one day when he was at school. He looked through the window in their clubroom and saw various couples out and about. Reiko had never crossed his mind. But sadly, the fools won't believe him.

"Wow, good job, Senpai." Kagami nodded, he was the only one oblivious. "You'll definitely win her heart with this one."

"Wait, how beautiful is this girl?" Akamine asked. He wanted to throw them in disarray further. He, like the rest of their instructors loved to see their interactions. "Hmm Kasamatsu-kun?"

Kasamatsu's face was red with embarrassment. "I didn't write it for Reiko-san, but she is beautiful. And mesmerizing and..." he trailed off when he realized that the room was completely silent and he was the only one talking.

"O.M.G!" Takao shrieked, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. "I hear the wedding bells already! I call dibs on being Best Man!"

Kise inhaled as though he was sucking in all of the air in the room, "I just love the fresh smell of getting a new big brother in the evening." he cooed. "So relaxing."

Kasamatsu was twitching with rage. For a some seconds, he tried earnestly to calm himself down. But all that was broken the moment he heard Kise shriek. Whipping his head into the blond's direction, he saw that he was on the phone.

"Papacchi! Have Onee-chan design Reiko-nee's wedding dress! I found the perfect candidate ―"

Kise was unable to continue as Kasamatsu drop kicked him into the other side of the room. "What are you talking about!?" He roared and continued to kick some senses into the blond boy.

"Senpai!" Kise wailed out.

In the midst of all this, Kuroko took Kise's phone and said in a robotic manner, "Please check to ensure that you have enough credit to continue making this call." He hung up the phone after that. Thank God it was Kise's father who called, Kuroko didn't know what he would have told the man if it was Kise who called him. Takao and Kagami were erupting with laughter at the shadow's antics and were pretty sad that they hadn't been videoing from the very beginning.

As for Akamine, while he loved all their songs since it embodied who they were and what they liked, he was enjoying Kasamatsu and Kise's interaction even more. But, who would have thought that Kasamatsu would have written a love song? Akamine surely didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	19. Completing Songs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of "Diverse" being a multinational group is taken from a real group called "Cross Gene".

 

"Where did you find these boys from?" Akamine asked, folding his arms. After Catal Rhythm had left for home, he went to find Kenji who was with the boys' "dream team". Ren, Kiyotaka and Nobuzane's ears perked up when they heard Akamine.

"Online." Kenji replied, not taking his eyes off the paper before him.

Akamine raised an eyebrow. "Online? Seriously?"

"Yes, Seimei had a competition. They posted a video there and I realized that they could be polished and turned into something beautiful."

The music instructor sat back in his chair and sighed. "I don't know if it was luck or what, but these five boys are special. I gave them an assignment to write songs about the topic of their choice. One verse and a chorus would have been enough."

Kenji paused and finally looked up. Akamine could see that he was interested.

"To be honest, I never expected their songs to turn out that well, since, they've never done anything like this before. But, shit, was I wrong."

Kenji grinned. "What? They blew your mind, didn't they?"

Akamine chuckled. "That's right. What shocked me even more was that Kasamatsu-kun wrote a love song."

"That shy boy!?" Kenji burst out laughing. "Unbelievable!"

"I know right? But cherish these lads. I have a feeling that they'll become a force to reckon with in the future."

Kenji smiled as he looked down on the paper on the table. It was a report he got from Ren and Nobuzane which showed the progress of their songs and mini-album against the other groups of the company. "They already are."

...

Returning home, the boys were a bit beat but they had fun. Kasamatsu faced endless teasing, Kise was tempted to tell his sister of the awesome song that Kasamatsu wrote. The boys knew it wasn't for her, but they just couldn't resist. Kasamatsu gave up trying to deny their claims and just let them have fun.

"Senpai, do you plan on completing that song?" Kise asked as they sat in the sofa. "It'll be a waste not to."

"Ah..." Kasamatsu said, "...I wasn't planning to. Given your reactions..."

"Yu-chan, you could always use it to serenade your girlfriend!" Takao said with glee.

"Or I can just sing "Juliette" or "Baby" or ―"

"Or your song "Wherever You Are". I think that'll have more impact." Kuroko joined in. "I mean, those songs are for the public ears, but your song is for her and her only." he added a smirk here. Kasamatsu dragged a hand over his face. They were relentless.

"Kuroko, I never knew you could be such a little shi―" he broke off as they heard screams and cheers coming from outside. Heading into their room, they looked through the window where Kise and Kagami's bunk was and saw a massive crowd out by the front gate. It was worst than the last time, and the five boys couldn't help but wonder what the cause of this was. They wanted to go to their balcony, but if anyone saw them, they'll know that they were idols as only idols lived on the third floor.

"Is there some sort of free ticket distribution going on?" Kagami mumbled aloud. "Their screams are so loud."

"Nope, Diverse is coming back." Takao replied, scrolling though his phone.

"Oh, the group that wasn't able to make it to Ai-Fest. I see." Kise said. He then chuckled, "Good luck to them getting through _that_. The crowd even blocked the underground parking entrance."

"But just because Diverse are back, they're showing up at their house? What insanity." Kasamatsu sighed. "I'm getting scared."

"You haven't seen crazy yet." Kise laughed. "There are fans that stalk their every move, set up cameras in their hotel rooms, all manner of crazy shit. I'm pretty sure that if idols had to choose, they'd prefer just to have a crowd at their house's entrance."

The others shivered in fear and silently prayed that they won't have to face anything of that level in the future. However, they knew that that's just impossible. But choosing to ignore the ruckus outside, Kagami and Kise started dinner while the others watched TV.

_xxxx_

The following week, Catal Rhythm were at it again, but they knew it would happen. Kenji had long warned them that the moment they débuted, he'd make sure that they were on every variety show under the sun. That was partially impossible at the moment, but they got a taste of the "evil combination" of Ren and Kenji. For that week, they went to three shootings, and at all these shootings, they made fools out of themselves (unintentionally).

Kenji and Ren reassured them that that was the essence of variety shows, to make idols look like idiots and show their boyish charms. Catal Rhythm were not amused. While it was fun laughing at each other (which they put each other to shame with their boisterous, unsightly laughter), knowing that the entire nation would be laughing at _them_ was not their cup of tea. But thankfully, they had on their _dark_ glasses so no one could recognize them.

Later in that week when the episode of _Idol Trend_ aired, Catal Rhythm faced endless teasing from Perfect 5th, Starburst, Amari and Hirose whenever they were spotted. Also, at their respective schools, they were the talk of the moment.

At Shutoku, Takao was constantly trying to stifle down his laughter upon hearing the various conversations of the students about his group. One student commented that at the time when he watched it, he was wondering if they were high on drugs especially Kagami and Kise when the redhead was trying to make the female co-host laugh. Using a plastic rose as "Excalibur" and the "Diva-fall" of the "demon lord" were extremely hilarious. Another student said that "Taka" and "Sunn's" jokes were so corny that it was actually funny.

Kaijou was in its usual state, Kasamatsu was in a similar situation like that of Takao. His classmates and friends knew that he was into rock music, so it would have been totally strange for him to join a conversation about male idols. But hearing what they were discussing (the females especially), made Kasamatsu rethink his choice. In short, he prays that when they reveal their identities they won't be in high school. Just thinking about it is making him break out in cold sweat.

Kise, however, was swarmed by numerous fan girls and other male friends. The moment he entered through the classroom door he was surrounded, everyone talking at the same time, not giving him a chance to even speak.

"One at a time, guys." the blond said which trying to worm his way from them.

"Kise-kun, why are you hiding that you're an idol?" a female classmate came up to him and asked.

"Eh?" Kise was taken aback at this sudden question. Normally, they'd ask him if he's Sunn or not. But this was assuming that they had solid proof.

"I watched _Idol Trend_ yesterday and I realized that Sunn speaks in a similar manner like you do. And his voice, sounds _exactly_ like yours. I don't think there's another guy in Kaijou who sounds like you, Kise-kun."

Kise grabbed the fabric at his chest and nearly broke out in tears. "How-how-how can you be so sure?" he managed to ask. "Have you conversed with _all_ the guys in school?"

He wore a calm and collected expression, but deep down he was praying for the teacher to arrive. He didn't think he'll be able to last this interrogation. And if he should make an excuse to leave, then that'll probably make them think that he's running away (which is right).

"Well, no..." she trailed off and turned her face away. Kise exhaled a sigh of relief until she started up again, "But you two seem really alike."

Kise only smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to say anything which may strike up something else. Going to his seat, he sat, took out his phone and unlocked the screen. What he saw for his notifications left him frowning. Ever since yesterday there had been countless of them flooding his phone and he was tempted to delete the apps (again). Sighing, he cleared these messages and proceeded to play a game. He had an inkling of what these notifications were about and didn't want to read them.

 _Why is everyone fussing over something like this, anyway?_ Kise thought a bit irritably. _Jeez, can't an idol hide his identity for a while without people trying to figure out who he is?_

Kise felt strangely stressed out at this. It reminded him of when celebrities are seen out with females and everyone wants to know her identity. It was hard, trying to keep everyone from figuring out his secret. He already has a lot of fans dealing with, he knew he won't be able to survive if that amount triples…

"Why couldn't Senpai be a first year too?"He whined to himself. "That way we could suffer together..."

Out of the group, Kuroko and Kagami were the ones who were totally fine. No one noticed Kuroko, and no one would _ever_ suspect Kagami to be an idol. Their school lives passed by normally ―too normal, as if nothing changed. The only difference was their team would tease them a lot, and Riko would change their regimen into something monstrous, seeming like she wanted to kill them off.

But throughout their interactions, Kagami felt like he wanted to complete his song, and then let them hear it, at least before the Senpai graduate next year.

_xxxx_

When Saturday came around, after having breakfast, Catal Rhythm assembled in their extra room to have Kasamatsu complete his song. After much pestering and bargaining, the older boy finally gave in, Kise wearing a devious smirk that made Kasamatsu fret. He had a feeling of what the blond ace was up to, but he didn't question Kise. He would deny every claim either way.

But, the universe had something else planned for the five boys.

While Kasamatsu strummed his guitar and the others listened with keen ears, Kenji entered into the room, with three others behind him. The five boys could easily recognize Tobio and Akio of Perfect 5th, but there was another who they didn't know.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kenji asked as he strode in.

"Yu-chan's completing his song." Takao said with a perk. "You have to hear it after!"

"Takao!" Kasamatsu shouted at the boy for him to keep quiet, blushing from the embarrassment.

"What's wrong? Kenji-san can have you sing it at his wedding someday, right?"

"Of course not!" Kise screeched in objection. "Senpai will sing it to Reiko-nee at _their_ wedding!"

Kasamatsu's face paled. What was Kise thinking? At this moment, he regretted accepting the offer and not force Kise to ask Moriyama instead. But knowing how shameless the shooting guard can get, Ryouhei would probably kick him out and end up going as his daughter's date instead.

"Right..." Kenji said. Kise had already informed the manager of the details and he didn't mind. As a matter of fact, Kenji decided that he'll be the one to pick up Reiko, drop them off at the venue and come back for them (more like wait until it was over). He _was_ Kasamatsu's manager after all. Can't have the boy taking trains and taxis.

"Anyway, Alto-kun of Diverse is here to meet you." he started up again. "Tobio-kun and Akio-kun are just here for moral support."

Catal Rhythm's eyebrows rose. Moral support? A member of Diverse wants to meet them? Why? Seeing the confusion printed all over their faces, the young men entered inside, wearing simple T-shirts and frayed jeans.

"Hello." The tall male walked in, his hair was bleached pale blond with brown ends. His eyes were a deep blue, reminding them of the ocean. His face wore a bright expression, as though he was happy to be there. "I'm Alto. I'm not telling you my real name because it's abnormally tragic." he said this in a dramatic way, somehow reminded Catal Rhythm of how Kise behaves sometimes. But they noticed that he spoke with an unfamiliar accent.

"So, what are you doing here?" Kagami asked, curious.

"Well, before we left on our tour, we had met Starburst and D:FI, so I was clueless as to who you guys were." Alto said, bluntly. "I'm just curious about you. Your "Baby" performance at Ai-Fest left an impression on me, you know?"

"Oh."

"And then Tobi showed me you lot singing with Perfect 5th at their concert in the Tokyo Dome." Alto grinned at them. He then looked at Kise, "You've got a voice there. You forced Tobi to harmonize with you and it's his song! How did you do it?!"

"Don't even go there!" Tobio barked, "I'm still peeved about it!" he then huffed, "this blond brat was stealing my thunder!"

Kise didn't know what to say. "I sang?" he said with a bit of uncertainty.

Alto nodded at Kise, ignoring Tobio and Akio who was laughing at his bandmate. But he then looked about the room and noticed that there were only four of Catal Rhythm present. "Where's your fifth member? He's not home?"

"I'm here." Kuroko said, he was sitting beside Alto. The leader of Diverse let out a high pitched scream as he bolted upwards and dashed to the corner of the room in fright. The male was grabbing his chest and panting heavily. Everyone roared with laughter at his reaction.

"You're not a ghost, right?" he asked.

"No." Kuroko replied, Takao continuously poked at his arm for verification.

Alto released a sigh of relief, "Thank God, you scared the shit out of me."

"He scares the shit out of everyone." Akio grumbled. Kuroko could only smile at their expressions.

"But anyway, I'm just letting you know who I am." the young man grinned. "If you have any problem and need any advice, especially with our line of work, Diverse is here. We live across the hall."

"Pfft!" Akio laughed. "They have us already! And if that wasn't the case, Banri and Harutaka are the only ones who'll really understand when they start blurting their troubles!" Akio kept roaring with laughter. "Don't you still have some issues with some Japanese sayings?"

"Are you dissing my Japanese skills!? _Huh?!_ " Alto barked, clearly enraged. "Are you?!"

"Keep calm, bro." Akio chuckled, leaning over to Tobio for support. But the main vocalist shrugged him off and scooted over closer to Kise.

Catal Rhythm looked to Kenji for an explanation. The manager mouthed "after" to them, which meant that they'll probably hear a description of the group on a whole when their guests left.

For a little while more, Alto spoke to Catal Rhythm and the boys found out that he was really nice or rather...extremely friendly. He actually gave them his number to show that he was serious. When Kasamatsu asked the reason for this, Alto had replied that he grew up in an extended family and was one of the "middle" ones, having older brothers and cousins to offer advice, and having to look out for the ones younger than himself.

Within a couple minutes, Alto, Akio and Tobio left, leaving Catal Rhythm with their manager.

"Diverse is a multinational group of Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Alto-kun is one of the Chinese members." Kenji said, answering his boys' earlier question. "The group consists of six members, two of each nationality. And it was entirely coincidental."

"Oh, that's why they're called Diverse." Kuroko nodded in understanding. "I was always wondering."

"But why did Alto need "moral support" from Akio-san and Tobio-san?" Kasamatsu asked.

Kenji laughed. "Alto-kun is _extremely_ shy. And because he's Chinese, he likes when someone is there in case he unknowingly offended someone or says something out of context. His Japanese is lacking in certain areas."

"He didn't seem shy to me." Kise mumbled, "Especially when Akio-kun commented when he offered his advice to us."

"As I said before, that's because his "moral support" is here." Kenji shrugged. "The others of Diverse usually are there for him, but it seems they went out or something."

"Oh." the boys said.

"On that note, I'm here with good news!" Kenji perked whipping out his phone from his back-pocket. After scrolling for a short while, he read, "Your EP: Hello, is ranked #8 on the Oricon Monthly Albums Chart."

Kise and Takao gasped, "No..." after which they proceeded to squeal with glee. Kasamatsu nodded his satisfaction, Kagami and Kuroko looked indifferent. But they were all shocked that they achieved such a feat. They were basically unknown.

"That's not all. Your song: "Hello" is ranked #12 on the Singles Chart." Kenji smiled. "Out of 50."

All five boys erupted into hoots and cheers, Kenji letting them revel in their joy for now. The coming week wasn't going to be easy, and all the times that will follow.

"Now, for the good news that you won't like." Kenji started up again. Catal Rhythm looked at him with confusion. He explained, "Next week, you have a photoshoot and will receive your next song."

"I like the "next song" part but the photoshoot..." Kasamatsu trailed off.

"Onee-chan designed some stuff and we're her models." Kise said in a rather calm voice. "Don't worry guys, I'll help you get through this with ease." he then grinned.

"That's great!" their manager perked up. "After lunch, come see me in your office to go into further details. And your dream team wants to see you, especially Ren and Nobuzane-san." he further added, "Bring your lyric sheets and Kasamatsu-kun, bring your guitar."

"Yes Sir!"

With that, Kenji left, leaving his boys to reel in all he just told them. But, he was glad that they weren't freaking out at the mention of a photoshoot as in days prior, they'd be a mess when he mentioned anything like that. But, he still couldn't wait to see their expressions come later on.

_xxxx_

Just as Kenji had instructed, the boys left their house after they had lunch and left for the Complex. Before they left, they placed their lyric sheets into Kasamatsu's guitar case and headed out. They decided to walk there, the boys from Tokyo taking in the sights of their new environment. Although, often times, they lost track of Kuroko which sent them into a frenzy.

When they reached to the Complex and headed to the office, they were immediately greeted with congratulations and raining confetti (although it was a little given that Kiyotaka was the only one with it).

"You managed to best D:FI's "Trespass" and Starburst's "OK" in the Singles Chart!" Ren chirped. "I'm so happy!" he pretended to wipe a tear.

"We did?!" they ended up screeching.

"Oh. Ken didn't tell you?" Ren asked sheepishly as he looked over at Kenji. "My bad." he said as he playfully placed two fingers on his lower lip. It was no secret that there's some bad blood between Catal Rhythm and a couple members of D:FI.

"Yeah, I forgot." Kenji said with an eye roll. It was clear that he didn't.

"Anyway, let's discuss your next photoshoot." The publicist said as he pushed them playfully towards his cubicle. When they were all seated, he began, "The theme for the shoot is "Spring: Beginning" since it begins next month. Unlike the last time, you'll be shooting on location."

Catal Rhythm nodded.

"Once again, it's _Image One_ and..." he leaned forwards to whisper, "...Takeda Yoshino will be there. Do your best and keep him away from Ken. They don't like each other." he especially looked at Kise.

"Oh, right..." the blond groaned out.

"What's the matter?" Kasamatsu asked.

"Yoshino-san is my manager." he responded. "I heard from my stylist that for me to become an idol, the meeting turned into a warzone between Yoshino-san and Kenji-san."

Ren laughed. "It was World War III! Armageddon, if you may!"

"Ren!" Kenji shouted from desk. "You traitor!"

The dark-haired young man stuck out his tongue teasingly. Kenji twitched at this, but said nothing more. When Ren was finished with the boys, Nobuzane came for them and they headed off to the recording studio. Entering the room, they noticed that there was hardly any lighting, and there were many mixers, and synthesizers and sorts of equipment nearly arranged in the space.

"I'm sure you've heard that you'll be receiving your next song, next week, right?" He asked. Catal Rhythm nodded.

Nobuzane grinned. "Well, we're here at the moment to become best friends."

"Eh? How so?" Takao asked.

"Akamine told me about the songs you wrote. You have the music sheets now, right?"

Wordlessly, Kasamatsu opened his guitar case and handed the papers to the man. He looked at each critically until he asked the boys to sing. Of course they all perked up at this, well, everyone except Kasamatsu. They sang their songs with much emotion even Kasamatsu. Of course, this got him teased (again) but for once, he didn't mind. What he minded was the mortified look on Nobuzane's face.

"I didn't know you were all this crazy. I thought Kenji was just exaggerating." he confessed.

Kuroko chuckled. "We can get even crazier."

"Please don't around me. I already have Kiyotaka, Ren and Kenji to deal with." he sighed. But changing his mood, he said, "How do you feel about completing your songs?"

The boys' faces lit up. "Seriously?!"

Nobuzane nodded. "These songs are the first that you've ever written right?" they nodded. "I'll help you to complete them and put it on a CD. It's your first song, you should at least finish it to reminisce later on."

"Let Senpai go first!" Kise shrieked.

"That's right," Kagami said in realization. "He has to take out Reiko to her ball soon, so it'll be cool if he manages to sing it to her."

"You…!" Kasamatsu roared, face turning a deep shade of red from the embarrassment. "Why are you so hell bent on this?!"

"Because you need a girlfriend." All four deadpanned.

"What? What about you?! Don't you all need girlfriends as well?! What's so special about me?!" he countered. He then turned to Takao, "Aren't you going to confess to Aika!?"

It was as though time froze. Kagami, Kise and Kuroko slowly turned into Takao's direction with questioning looks.

"Hmm?" Kise asked with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous smirk. "What's this?"

"How did she get into this!?" Takao asked, trying to defend himself. "She's a friend! A friend!" he screeched, waving his hands in dismissal.

"Alright! Alright!" Nobuzane said to get back their attention. "Bicker all you want about girls when you get home. Right now, let's finish your songs." He then spun around in his chair and looked at his equipment, pushing buttons and connecting cables that the boys didn't know the use of.

"I have to ask, why do your songs sound like rock songs?" he started. "Don't get me wrong, they're pretty good songs, but I get the rock and roll feel from them when you sang."

"Yeah, we realized from the first time." Kuroko confessed.

"How odd. A pop idol group's first ever songs are of the rock genre." Nobuzane chuckled. "You boys really are special." with a clap of his hands, he then said, "let's begin, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	20. Of Photoshoots and Logo Designs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Kise can't draw. But for the sake of this fic, he can. And also, thank you dreamingunderthestars!

 

With the start of the new week, Kasamatsu, Kise and Takao were preparing for the graduation of their Senpai, in addition for Kise, Reiko's graduation. And luckily for the blond, Kaijou's graduation was in the evening, while Reiko's was in the morning. He had wanted to bring Kasamatsu along but the raven-haired captain found every excuse under the sun not to attend. However, Kasamatsu later found out that the Kise family were a dangerous bunch.

Either Ryouhei has the power of foresight or Kise predicted that his captain would decline, but one evening after school, Kasamatsu's father phoned his son, asking him the reason for his declination. The older male even encouraged his son to attend Reiko's graduation in order to get rid of his shyness (around females, that is) and to familiarize himself with her before he takes her to the ball.

Of course, Kasamatsu countered and said that he'd met her that time when they were going to shoot for the competition but, his father quickly quipped saying: "That was only once".

Kasamatsu knew he couldn't win against Mitsurou so quickly, he surrendered, much to Kise's pleasure. Kasamatsu swore that Kise was planning on setting up him and Reiko. There was no other reason for the blond to be trying this hard.

When Tuesday came around, they got their song —both music and lyrics and liked its upbeat tempo. Kise, however, was appalled at his high notes, and wondered if he could really sing it. But, Akamine and Nobuzane reassured him saying that he has a higher range than he thinks. Hearing this, the boys were excited but their spirit fell immediately when Kenji told them Hikaru was the choreographer.

…

It was now Wednesday, and Kaijou high was the usual. For once, Kise didn't get harassed by schoolmates about whether he was "Sunn" or not, and his fangirls were strangely inactive (for the most part). His classes ran smoothly until lunch came around, and swiftly, he packed his bag and bolted through the classroom door.

"Her whisper is the lucifer~" Kise sang one of his lines of the new song as he skipped towards the clubroom. The blond boy didn't even realize that fellow students were staring at him. The reason? He seemed far more radiant today than anything else. Upon reaching, he slid open the door and beamed, "Hello!"

"Kise...you're too bright today..." Nakamura half-joked while shielding his face from the blond.

"I'm just in a good mood, that's all." Kise said as he sat.

Kasamatsu made a face. "I wonder why?" he said with sarcasm. He had a feeling that it was something pertaining to him and Reiko.

"You're in a good mood when we'll be graduating?! How awful of you!" Moriyama said while pretending to wipe the non-existent tears.

"Moriyama-senpai, that's not the reason why I'm so happy..." Kise said softly. "...we'll be going on a photoshoot. I'm just super excited!"

Kaijou's eyebrows rose.

"But, it isn't the first time that you'll be doing this, so why…?" Kobori asked, confused at the blond's statement.

"Because I'm always alone or shooting with a stranger. But now, I'm shooting with Senpai, Kagamicchi, Kurokocchi and Takaocchi! It's bound to be fun! Plus, I can actually relax while shooting with the guys."

Kasamatsu let out a sigh. "I understand. I mean, I don't think I'd be able to take a decent photo if I was on the set or wherever by myself."

Kaijou paused before they erupted in laughter.

"I'd like to see that!" Moriyama howled with laughter. "Can't we come on set when you're shooting?!"

"Yeah!" the others nodded in agreement.

"We can ask Ken―"

"NO!" Kasamatsu shouted, covering Kise's mouth while he was at it. "My life will end if they come!"

"Don't be like that, Kasamatsu," Nakamura said, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "We'll try our best to not laugh."

"That means you will!" he shrieked.

Kobori whistled. "Hitting those high notes quite well." he nodded. "I see someone's been paying attention in Akamine-sensei's music class."

The clubroom once again erupted with laughter. Kise decided that this was the best time to take a picture, and had everyone bunch up before his phone to take a selfie. When the shutter sound went off and they looked at the picture, all they saw were bright smiles and funny looking faces.

"Hey, guys, do you want to hear a little piece of our new song?!" Kise then perked. "It's called Lucifer!"

"Of course we wanna hear it!" the regulars roared.

Kasamatsu let out a groan as he chewed on his rice. Kise looked at him with a playful smile, the captain placed his chopsticks neatly across his bento box, cleared his throat after which he began singing.

_xxxx_

Before the boys knew it, the day for their photoshoot arrived. It was a Friday evening, they were pardoned by their respective coaches to miss practice. But strangely, Catal Rhythm were ready to go for their first on-location photoshoot. For some reason, they didn't feel flustered like they did the first time. Kenji had deduced that it could be because they've accepted that this was going to be a part of their lives from now on, or it was because Kise was there to guide them along the right path. Either way, they felt as though they could take on the whole world which Kenji was glad for.

Upon reaching the location, the boys looked on in awe at the scenery. They were in Osaka and was at the Sumiyoshi Park. There were beautiful flowers of purple, yellow and pink that adorned various rectangular metallic poles clustered neatly together. They continued on the path until they neared an opening with lush green grass and cherry blossoms were preparing to bloom.

When they reached where the photoshoot was going to be, they saw the crew getting things in order. The photographer was testing out his camera to ensure that all is well, there were others setting up various equipment while there were two who seemed to be overseeing everything.

Upon seeing one of the two, Kise made an indication to the others. The man was tall with bleached blond hair done in a sweep to the left. His piercing grey eyes were focused on the people before him, ever so often he glanced at his silver wristwatch. He was clothed in a light coloured dress shirt, jeans and shoes. He was none other than Takeda Yoshino, Kise's (other) manager.

Yoshino spotted the group coming and after saying something to the man he was standing beside, he made his way towards them. Alarm bells rang off in the five boys' heads as Ren told them to keep Yoshino away from Kenji at all times.

"Kenji-san, how about we take a look around the park?" Takao asked swiftly when he saw the danger approaching. "We're early anyway."

"Oh, that's not a bad idea. The Shrine is like right next door, we can go check it out." The manager said while tapping on his chin. "But it'll have to wait until after the shoot. Can't disappear the moment you arrive." The boys let out a groan of defeat since Kenji was clearly oblivious to their actions. By this time, Kise had dashed forwards to Yoshino, hoping to prevent a disaster.

But, as fast as the blond may be, Yoshino and Kenji's eyes made four, and it seemed that the temperature just dropped below zero. There was a deathly silence that hung in the air, almost as if the shuffling and the talking from the crew members were soft background music that could be deemed unnoticeable.

"Hello, Aihara." Yoshino greeted with a glare.

"Right back at you, Takeda." Kenji said with a (not so friendly) smile.

Yoshino then turned to the boys, "Nice to finally meet you all. Kise-kun talks a lot about you four."

"Nice to meet you." Catal Rhythm sans Kise returned the man's greeting.

"So what are you doing here?" Kenji asked, folding his arms in the process.

"Of course I'm here to see my model in action." Yoshino quipped. "I _am_ Kise-kun's manager. Have you forgotten?"

Kenji made a dark chuckle. " _I_ am Catal Rhythm's manager. It's _their_ photoshoot, not _only_ Kise-kun's."

Catal Rhythm began panicking, maybe because Ren was little dramatic but he made it clear that those two are like fire and water, they can go together but they _don't_ and will _never_ mix. Hoping for a miracle, Kise tried to drag away Yoshino but with his eyes locked onto Kenji and mouth seeming to be itching to say something, the blond failed miserably. But then he remembered, he had a powerful weapon in his arsenal.

Kise Ruiko.

If it's her, then she could turn a sour situation sweet. Whipping out his phone quickly, he message the eldest blond child of his family, knowing that she _had_ to be here somewhere lurking. As a designer, she likes to style her models herself.

"Is it just me, or is the atmosphere here strangely suffocating? I can't breathe easy." Kasamatsu said, hoping that the two managers will take a hint.

"I agree." Takao, Kagami and Kuroko voiced out. Kenji and Yoshino's eyebrows rose in confusion but that was short lived as they heard a screech (that Catal Rhythm almost had to do a double take to see if Kise was still standing with them). Looking in the direction, they saw a blond-haired female, running ―sprinting towards them, the boys wondering how she was doing it in _those_ stilettos.

"Ryoucchi!" Ruiko shrieked as she embraced her little brother in a bear hug after which she greeted everyone else in a frighteningly professional manner. "So, since you're already here, let's get you dressed!" she chirped. "And yes, I _always_ style my own models." she said quickly as though she could hear the question hanging.

She ushered the five boys off, Kenji and Yoshino automatically following, however, none said anything. After minutes of chatting, styling and other preparation, Catal Rhythm were ready for their shoot. Of course, Kagami and Kasamatsu still not used to feeling make-up on their skin, Kise and Takao took (what seemed to be) endless selfies together, Kuroko sat and read the novel he brought along.

And strangely, although Kenji and Yoshino were outside together, they kept their arguments to a civil level.

The boys then emerged, looking dazzling. They all donned their dark shades as this time, they were shooting as Catal Rhythm and not themselves. Takao wore a mid wash denim jacket with folded sleeves over a white tee with red designs on the front. His pants were olive coloured. His sneakers matched his tee perfectly.

Behind him was Kasamatsu, who wore a thin dark coloured blazer jacket over a black and grey striped shirt and dark jeans. The foot of his pants were cuffed to reveal the style of his brown high-top shoes and lastly for an accessory, he wore a watch. He looked, like always, sophisticated and had an air of suave surrounding him.

Next to him was Kise, who was a beaming ball of sunshine. He was in a grey v-neck shirt with charcoal coloured ripped jeans, and white sneakers. For an accessory, he wore a necklace with a bird-like creature for the pendant. Kise was so simple yet at the same time, so hot. Being in dark clothing, somehow made his obnoxious yellow hair seem even brighter and blinding.

Behind them were Kuroko and Kagami, the smaller teen dressed in a black polo shirt with short white sleeves partially tucked into a white jeans pants and sherry shoes. When the crew spotted him, hoots were heard as due to the shirt, it emphasized his pale porcelain skin, almost making him seem doll-like.

Kagami had on a white cap turned backwards which matched the slim fit casual shirt he wore. It was buttoned all the way up to his neck to showcase the faded lion design on the front, his jeans were a light brown in colour with his Vans being black and white in the checkered pattern.

After doing janken, the order in which the boys went were ―Takao, Kasamatsu, Kuroko, Kagami, Kise. When the photographer was ready, Takao strolled into position with a grin on his face.

"I'm going to blow you all away." he grinned.

This ignited something within the other four, Kise especially. "Hoh? Let's see then." Kise smirked.

And this sparked warfare among the five boys, Kenji dragging a hand over his face as he knew where this would lead.

_xxxx_

On their way back, Kuroko was actually humming loudly, Takao was sulking, Kise and Kagami were revelling in teasing Takao, Kasamatsu didn't care about them but he burst with laughter every now and then.

Kuroko was the one whose pictures everyone chose to be the best, followed by Kise, then Kasamatsu and Kagami, Takao last. In fact, none of their photographs looked terrible, they were all stunning and beautiful, however, when the crew were asked by the boys, the adults had to deliberate for quite some time, Yoshino couldn't judge Kise because he was the blond's manager.

Kenji only drove while chuckling at their antics. He was sad that he couldn't video them but made a vow to install some hidden cameras, his boys were too crazy to not be videoed and watched at a later date.

After an hour or so of driving, the young manager pulled up into the Aihara Complex, and the group headed to their office. Upon entering, Ren grabbed them and dashed off to his cubicle, asking about the outcome of the meeting between Kenji and Yoshino. When the boys answered truthfully, he heaved a sigh of relief, mumbling to himself that things could have been worse as those two can get quite vicious.

"Well now that everything's fine and over with, let's get down to business." Ren smiled. "Now that your popularity is increasing, you'll need a logo."

"I want to design it!" both Takao and Kise screeched. The two boys looked at each other in surprise.

"You both can do it." Kenji said quickly before questions start to fly. "Though, I am quite worried how it will turn out." he added, "Are you two even a little bit artistically inclined?"

The two boys let out gasp. Kise drew back a little and placed a hand on his chest and said,

"I'll have you know that the only thing I cannot draw is people." Kise huffed. "You hurt me Kenji-san." he pouted.

"And the only things I can't draw are backgrounds." Takao said, folding his arms in the process.

Meanwhile, Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu could only gape on in shock. Were the two boys being serious? Or did they actually think that their artistic skills are that great? But then again, neither of them have ever seen the two draw before, so they couldn't really judge.

"For some strange reason, I have a bad feeling about this." Kiyotaka said, Nobuzane nodding in agreement. "Couldn't we just get one of the designers to do it? After all, that's what they're here for."

" _Never!_ "

Kiyotaka and Nobuzane cringed at their volume. They then let out a sigh and shook their heads. It seems that while Catal Rhythm are quirky good-natured boys, they can be quite stubborn. But, deciding to give them a chance, Kenji sighed and said,

"Alright, design a couple and decide amongst yourselves which is the better one." he smiled. "Sometimes, groups change their logos later on, after a few years."

"I still feel uneasy." Kasamatsu mumbled.

"Senpai, have you no faith in your ace?" Kise whined, pretending to cry. "We've been through so much and yet..."

"Or me?" Takao said batting his eyelashes.

In order to not be caught up in this as well, Kuroko brought his novel closer to his face, seeming to be hiding his expression, Kagami stared through the window in order not to laugh at Kise and Takao's expressions. Although he lived with them, their animated faces never ceases to make him laugh.

Relenting, Kasamatsu gave up, getting happy squeals from the ace and point guard. Kiyotaka and the others chuckled at their hilarious interactions before Kenji continued. The manager allowed the boys express what they felt about their experiences so far, and the four men in the room were a little shocked at their responses.

Kagami went first, and he mainly speaks about them living together. While it was no secret to the Dream Team that the redhead and Kise often quarrelled over many things, they found that Kagami didn't mind living with four other friends. He elaborated on his one-on-ones with Kise (of course), he complained about the blond's tendency to clean everywhere as soon as he saw a speck of dust _and_ that Kise is always forcing them to use moisturizer ―all sorts of hair and skin products which he deems a pain.

This then caused Kise to interject, arguing that it was for the best interest of their hairs' and skins health. But apart from that, Kise chirped about how fun it is to live with his Senpai, Kurokocchi and Takaocchi… only adding in the bit that Kagami's cooking was so good that he thinks the redhead was a housewife in his previous life. He then calmed down and said that he's always looked forward to photoshoots with everyone being that he gets to have fun with friends and loosen up.

And of course, while Kagami appreciated the praise, he didn't want to be called a "housewife".

Jumping in before the two start arguing (again), Takao piped up that he found their experiences fun and eye opening ―in the sense that he never knew that there were so many things done for a music video. It had never once crossed his mind that idols had to dance the routine twice in different outfits and/or on different sets.

Kuroko only added in that he never knew his father could have been so evil.

What Kasamatsu talked about left the other four nodding fervently in agreement. _Variety Shows._ The eldest teen wasn't too fond of them, and while they behaved like themselves, he was concerned that they looked like a bunch of idiots who can sing and dance. Add wearing make-up into the mix (they never complained about the hairstyles), and it turned into a full blown "complaining" session.

Kagami stated that they made him look "pretty".

Takao stated that his skin is already flawless, what more did he need?

Kasamatsu just felt uncomfortable wearing it, as he didn't think it was "masculine" enough.

Kuroko hummed whenever anyone spoke as he was still reading his novel, and Kise…

...He laughed at them wholeheartedly.

Of course, Ren reassured them for the umpteenth time that there was nothing to worry about. That's what variety shows are all about. He even added that with their personalities, they'll have people hooked within no time. In addressing the make-up issue, he simply deadpanned:

"Get used to it."

After, Catal Rhythm had to leave because they had their lessons to go to. All five sulked at this, but Nobuzane quickly told them that if they wanted to achieve World Domination and to put D:FI (more so, Nakajima and others) in their places, they _had_ to take their lessons.

Still sulking, they followed Nobuzane out, leaving the other three men to roar with laughter.

_xxxx_

By the time Catal Rhythm reached home, Kise and Takao dashed off to their room without a word to anyone. Kise rummaged through his drawers and found his sketch book and pencils, Takao did the same. However, both were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't pay attention to anything else.

Upon noticing that the two energetic boys weren't coming back to the living room, Kasamatsu decided to check on them, being that Kagami was in the kitchen and Kuroko was still reading a novel.

"Kise, Takao, are you alright?" He asked as he pushed open the door. The two stopped and stared at him, looking as though he spoke a different language.

"Yup!" Kise perked as he hopped off his bunk. He dashed over to Kasamatsu, pushing his sketchbook in the older teen's face. "Ha! Do you really believe that I _can't_ design our logo?"

Kasamatsu's jaws dropped in awe. On the page was a pretty detailed drawing of outside the window and if they hadn't lived together, Kasamatsu wouldn't have believed that Kise was the one who drew the picture. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't. To think that his ace wasn't only good for basketball and singing.

Takao flew down from his bunk as well and looked at what Kise. He grinned and lunged for the taller male. "My brother!"he shouted in joy. He then showed the ace what he drew, at this point Kasamatsu's jaws dropped through the floor. On the page were all five of them (portraits only), but it looked damn realistic.

Kise's eyes tore up with joy. "Where have you been all my life!?" He embraced Takao and the two spun around, jumping and squealing like the hyperactive idiots they were.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for someone who could draw backgrounds?" Takao shouted.

"Do _you_ have any idea how long I've been searching for someone who could draw people?!" Kise shrieked.

Kasamatsu exited the room quickly, not wanting to be infected with their behaviour. He returned to his spot on the sofa and sighed. It seemed that Kagami and Kuroko heard the screeches, and wondered what the cause was.

"So what's new?" Kagami asked.

"They can draw." the Leader gave out. "They can actually do it." he sounded as though he still didn't believe it.

"Really?" the other two asked in unison. Kasamatsu nodded and just then, they heard a joyous screech:

"Let's make the world's best logo ever in existence!"

The three in the living room gave out an agonized groan. "This is going to be a long night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	21. To the ball with Reiko

 

"So, you can't decide between these two, right?" Kenji asked as he looked at the two sheets of paper before him.

It's been a couple of days since Kise and Takao were tasked with designing their logo and so far, so good. However, there was one small problem ―Catal Rhythm couldn't choose which one to use. There were a total of six designs, and they've only managed to narrow it down to two. So, seeing that they were so conflicted, Kise had come with the idea of letting Kenji choose as well. Which brings them to the current situation: Kise and Takao sitting in Kenji's living room.

"That's right." Kise nodded, Takao was sitting beside him.

"Yu-chan and Tai-chan are crazy over this one." Takao said, pointing to the design on the left. "Tetsu-chan and Ryou-chan loves the other."

"What about you?" Kenji asked him with a raised brow.

"Well, I like them both. I didn't want to be the one who has to choose our logo. So I decided to let our dream team vote." the hawk-eyed boy grinned.

Kenji sighed. "Alright. I'll get it to the others tomorrow. You better not complain when the verdict is out."

Kise and Takao laughed. "Of course not! Either of the designs are awesome, so there's no way our logo will be terrible."

Kenji nodded. They were right, these designs were really _something._ To be honest, he had thought that it would have ended in a disaster as he knew that the five were nothing but basketball idiots. When the blond and raven-haired boys left, Kenji let out a chuckle as he's realized that in the instances that he doubts their ability, Catal Rhythm ends up blowing him away.

"Mah, I guess I need to stop then." He laughed.

Kise and Takao skipped to their house, since they had visited Kenji in his. Opening the door, their eyes caught the usual sight of a weekday ―Kagami in the kitchen, Kuroko sitting on the sofa reading a novel (both boys keep wondering just how many books he has) and Kasamatsu strumming his acoustic guitar while humming and jotting down lyrics that goes with the chords.

This has become the norm and the other four boys (and Akamine) could see his apparent talent in songwriting, not that the older teen would admit it. As Kise and Takao removed their shoes at the genkan and walked past the kitchen, Kagami asked,

"So how'd it go?"

In that moment, Kuroko peeked over the top of his novel and one of two things happened with Kasamatsu ―either he was so immersed in his playing and scribbling that he's tuned out his surroundings or he's ignoring them. In Kise's eyes, it's probably the latter.

"We'll know tomorrow," Takao replied as he made his way to the living room and sat beside Kasamatsu.

"Oh, okay." Kagami replied without a care in the world, Kuroko went back to reading. Kise noticed their behaviours and felt that something was wrong. Everyone was acting out of character and the blond felt disturbed.

"Kagamicchi, Kurokocchi, Senpai..." he started, "...are you alright?"

"I'm reading, Kise-kun." Kuroko deadpanned.

"Oi, what? Can't you see that I'm cooking?" Kagami retorted from the kitchen.

"Oh, you came back." Kasamatsu said without taking his eyes off his acoustic guitar.

With an eye roll, Kise headed to sit beside Kasamatsu, peering at his lyric sheet. Takao did the same, and nodded his head when he read the lyrics. But his hawk-eyes didn't miss the heap of crumpled papers on the floor beside him.

"Yu-chan," Takao started, "You like writing songs, don't you?"

Kasamatsu's head snapped up as though he was frightened. "Ah, yeah. It's fun." Then he sighed, "But I can't seem to write pop songs for five vocalists."

"But you're able to write rock songs for a single vocalist, right?" Kuroko joined in.

Kasamatsu chuckled. "Yeah, that's about it."

"So, what are you going to do with your songs, Kasamatsu?" Kagami said as he made his way over. Seeing the looks on their faces, he quickly said, "Our food is in the oven. Obviously I'm not going to stay in the kitchen until it's done."

"Oh." Kasamatsu nodded. But then he answered the redhead's question, "I don't know. Probably I ―"

" _What do you mean you don't know?!"_ Kise and Takao screeched in anger, slamming their palms down on the table.

"Senpai, you can't let your talent go to waste!" Kise shouted.

Kasamatsu's expression changed to a deadpan. "I prefer to write rock songs, Kise. Who's going to sing them?"

"We can!" the blond screeched, causing Kagami to choke on air and Kuroko's book to fall out of his hands. But when he saw the look on the other's faces, he quickly said, "Or Senpai himself."

"But Kise-kun, rock songs require instruments. I don't think Aihara manages rock bands as well." Kuroko sighed. Then, he froze when he realized what he just said. Living with them for as long as he did, he's bound to know what they're like.

"So why don't _we_ play the instruments then?" Kagami said without taking his eyes off the lyric sheet. "This is good stuff, Senpai."

Kasamatsu reeled from the shock, Kuroko face-palmed not because of the suggestion, but due to _Kagami_ being the one who suggested it. He had expected Takao or Kise to come out with it instead. Kise, however, seemed impassive and Takao was roaring with laughter.

"What? Did I say something?"

"Kagamicchi, you do realize that Senpai's songs would require awesome instrumentals, right? It can't be wishy-washy. What can you guys do?"

"I know. So how long does it take to learn an instrument?" Kagami shrugged.

"Ten thousand hours for mastery, although it varies depending on how often you practice and go to classes and the whatnot." Kise replied. "But of course, you never really stop learning. You'll stumble upon something that you never knew could be done and you'll end up wanting to do it too."

Everyone froze and gawked at the blond teen. They weren't staring because of the astronomical number Kise stated, it was the fact that the blond sounded as though he _knew how to play an instrument._

"How do you even know that, Ryou-chan?" Takao asked.

"Uh, it's just that my soon-to-be brother-in-law is a master on the drums and was even in a band."

Hearing this, Takao, Kagami and Kuroko's eyes subconsciously travelled to Kasamatsu who was just as surprised as they were.

"Oi, don't look at me. I've never played the drums." he defended. But then, he realized what happened. His face reddened from the embarrassment. "I'm not his "soon-to-be brother-in-law"!"

"Right..." Takao nodded, inwardly chuckling. "I never knew Ruiko-san was engaged. To a former drummer to be exact. How did he pass your hellish screening? How old is he anyway?!" he swiftly changed the subject.

Kise snorted. "You obviously didn't notice the huge ass engagement ring on her finger. He passed it quite fine and he's twenty-five."

"I hate to ruin this moment," Kuroko started, "But Kagami-kun, please check the oven. I don't want to starve today or eat take-out."

"Shit!" the redhead shouted and bolted for the kitchen.

_xxxx_

The days passed before the five boys could realize, being that they were surrounded with activities. At school, they had basketball practice, and after that, they'd have Foreign Language with Ichinose-sensei, songwriting with Akamine-sensei, practicing their new song with Nobuzane to get the notes right etc. These times always ended up being hilarious ―either Kise biting his tongue in trying to pronounce the words properly, Kasamatsu getting teased about writing songs for Reiko by the others etc...

Now, everyone except Kuroko and Kagami had a graduation (or two in Kise and Kasamatsu's case) to attend. Shutoku's was the same time as Kaijou's, so even if the hawk-eyed boy wanted, he wouldn't have been able to attend Kaijou's or vice-versa. But Kasamatsu and everyone else got a first-hand experience on how the Kise family manages to be at the centre attention without even realizing.

On this day, all five boys were heading to Reiko's graduation at Horikoshi High School. It was a morning ceremony, so everyone could be in attendance. That said, the entire Kise family was out in full force, Ryouhei and his family were a given, but even his older brother Kouhei and his family were here as well and a bunch of other people who were related to the Kises in some way.

Ryouhei was dressed in a purple suit. The open blazer was cuffed up to his elbows to reveal his silver wristwatch. His white shirt had a few buttons undone and wore no tie. His eyes were concealed by his shades.

Kise walked stride for stride with his father, and wore his suit in a similar fashion to Ryouhei. Unlike Ryouhei however, Kise's suit was lavender, and his watch was golden. He even wore shades as well, and looking at the two, one would believe that they were an older-younger brother duo.

On Ryouhei's left was his wife ―Ritsuko. She knotted her arm with Ryouhei's and like her husband and son, she was stunning like the sun. She wore a purple laced top off-the-shoulder high-low dress to match her husband. Her earrings matched her dress while her necklace was silver. She did her own make-up and it was absolutely beautiful. Before they left their house, the moment Ryouhei saw her, he instantly started drooling.

Ruiko was behind them with her fiancé ―Sugimoto Makio (Makki for short) with his hand on her waist. She was in a beautiful olive-green hestia double high slit dress with spaghetti straps. Her long blonde hair was styled with a centre part and curled ends. Her make-up was done by Ritsuko to blow the entire world away.

Catal Rhythm sans Kise trailed behind them, Kagami and Kasamatsu feeling uncomfortable with all the stares coming their way. Takao didn't mind, and they doubted that anyone noticed Kuroko. Kenji hummed in joy, since he had gotten to take their pictures before they left. They made it to the auditorium and took their seats and a couple minutes later, the ceremony began.

_xxxx_

Catal Rhythm returned home looking drained, well, all except Kise. After Reiko's ceremony, Kise's family went on a photographing spree. They took so many pictures (dragging Catal Rhythm with them), the photographer's memory chip had to be changed _twice_. It was there that the boys found out that taking pictures is a part of the Kise gene.

And after that, they went out to a restaurant, Kouhei ―Ryouhei's older brother nearly murdered Kagami for eating so much, saying that his sons and Kise were already enough. He had lost to Ryouhei in janken, so he had to pay the bill. Of course, Ryouhei laughed at his demise, knowing full well that Kagami was a monstrous eater.

By the time evening time came around, the five were off again, this time to different graduations. Kasamatsu, Kise and Kagami went to Kaijou's graduation while Takao, Kuroko and Kenji headed to Shutoku's. And of course, Seirin were split between the two schools.

Both ceremonies went smoothly, over by Shutoku, Takao tore up seeing that his Senpai were leaving. Midorima was in attendance as well, but he behaved like his usual self, trying to hide the fact that he would deeply miss them.

At Kaijou, Kise was a bawling mess, Moriyama and Kobori had to console him by saying that they'd drop by every now and then whenever they had the time. Kasamatsu seemed normal, but he did admit that he'd miss them, especially Moriyama and his jokes and his irregular shooting. Hayakawa, as usual, couldn't form his sentences properly and sounded like a baby trying to talk. Nakamura promised Moriyama that he'll be the best shooting guard that they'll have.

Then, everyone met up to hang out but when they reached at a restaurant Kobori chose, due to them being rowdy, Kise, Kagami and Midorima arguing, they were thrown out. Rest assured, Riko "punished" them accordingly, but, the night still managed to turn out quite well with a heated basketball match at a random street court.

_xxxx_

"Senpai, aren't you getting up?"

Kasamatsu snorted as he cracked open an eye. He was being shaken awake by none other than his (sometimes) irritating ace. With a grunt, Kasamatsu turned his back to the blond and covered underneath his sheets.

"Come on, Senpai." Kise whined.

"What for?"

"Have you forgotten what date is today?"

"Yes." he grumbled sarcastically, fighting down the urge to kick Kise through the window. He knew for a fact that it was no one's birthday and they had the day off since they attended two graduations yesterday, so he didn't see what Kise was going on about.

Kise let out a gasp, clearly, he didn't pick up the sarcastic tone Kasamatsu had used. "Today is the day that you take Reiko-nee to her ball!"

"Of course." the older teen drawled with an eye roll. "So what's the rush, isn't it at 7 o'clock tonight?"

"Yes, but you have to do your hair, get dressed by Onee-chan, and Kenji-san has to drive you to the venue. What if there's traffic?"

"And what time is it now?"

Kise fumbled, "Minutes after twelve o'clock..."

"Eh?!" he screeched as he jumped up. "You're lying!"

Kise then jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the clock. Kasamatsu gasped in shock.

"You fool! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!? I don't want to get mauled by your family, you know?!"

Kise laughed. "They'll do no such thing. I smoothed out everything for you. They'll just look at you with sympathy."

The captain was tired, last night, he couldn't sleep and ended up staying up until late hours (more like early morning), strumming his guitar and singing. Somewhere along the line, the others joined in, and before he knew it, their conversation had taken a turn to centre on rock music and bands.

Kasamatsu dashed to the bathroom, but by no means was he rushing... _that much_. Kenji was supposed to bring him to the hair stylist by 1:30 and it was just after twelve. By the time he was done, it was fifteen minutes to one o'clock. He dressed himself simply ―black jeans with white v-neck t-shirt and matching sneakers.

"Looking good, Yu-chan." Takao teased.

"But it's just jeans and t-shirt." Kasamatsu shrugged.

Kise smirked. "It comes with the territory. No matter what we put on, we'll still look damn good."

"Uh-huh." the captain nodded and headed into the kitchen to fix himself a sandwich. There was deadly silence for a while, until Kise broke it.

"Senpai, you need to tell me everything when you come home, okay?" He grinned.

Kasamatsu snorted. "As if. And You're too nosy!"

"Hmm...is that so?"

But hearing that tone and seeing the smug look, Kasamatsu prayed that they didn't plan on stalking him. He knew that they (Kise especially) were crazy enough to do it. Not wanting to stay there any longer and probably murder them, Kasamatsu bade farewell and headed over to Kenji. Luckily, he was home and not at the office, so the captain was able to calm himself before tonight.

Although it seemed to be far away, he knows that before he realizes, it'll be time for Kenji to pick Reiko up. He imagined what the Kise family would be like, since Kise informed him that they have two-faces ―a normal, happy-go-lucky and by extension, airheaded behaviour, but on the other hand, the Kise family can be pretty deadly, almost like a mafia. Kasamatsu recalled a story Kuroko told them about what happened in middle school when Kise was being picked on by some older students.

He got chills from it, and he was just _hearing_ the story. He couldn't even imagine how the students involved felt.

"So, Kasamatsu-kun. Are you ready?" Kenji asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, let's just get this over with." he responded. "I think I'm getting nervous."

Kenji laughed out loud as he made his way to the door. "Loosen up, boy! You've performed in front of a crowd of thirty thousand, and looked like an idiot on national television. What's there to worry about now?"

Kasamatsu shook his head. "The Kise family is frightening. I don't want them to disapprove of me or something."

Kenji was confused and froze momentarily. "Tell me something, are you proposing to Reiko or just accompanying her to her ball?"

Kasamatsu face-palmed.

…

The captain of the Blue Elites was a nervous mess.

He was sitting in the passenger side of the car, Kenji humming one of their songs without a care in the world. They were currently on their way to Kise's house to pick up Reiko. Like with all other girls, Kasamatsu was extremely nervous, add to that, he's about to face her family. While he's met them before _under different circumstances_ , he's pretty worried about the outcome of this evening. When Kenji pulled up at the gate, Kasamatsu inspected himself to see if there was anything out of place although Ruiko was the one who dressed him so there's no possibility of that happening.

He was dressed in a wine-red three piece suit ―wine-red blazer over a buttoned up vest of the same colour and white shirt and tie. His pants matched as well, his shoes were brown. Kasamatsu's hair was done in the stylish fringe-up. Although he looked handsome (he always was), he had gotten the fright of his life when he sat in the chair and saw some of his hair falling to the ground. The stylist actually had cut his hair! The crown of his hair had a light perm to give his hair more volume and texture (not that his hair needed any more volume), the sides were taken in lightly, not cropping too close to his scalp. For the finishing touch, the stylist used some wax and hair spray to fix the shape.

In short, he was absolutely stunning.

Finally, Kenji pulled up at the gate and Kasamatsu hopped out. The manager was evil enough to send the boy into the lion's den _alone_ , but he knew full well that he'll be fine. When Kasamatsu reached up to the door, he pressed the doorbell and waited for a second. The swung open to reveal Ryouhei who looked like he'd been through hell and back.

Mortified, Kasamatsu could only manage, "Good evening."

With a smile rivalling Kise's, Ryouhei said, "You're here early..." the older Kise trailed off, his eyes scanning Kasamatsu. "...and looking good too. Damn, are you trying to steal my daughter's heart or something?" he chuckled.

"Well Sir, it was your elder daughter that dressed me, so ask her."

Ryouhei laughed out and threw an arm over Kasamatsu's shoulder leading him inside. At this moment, Kenji trudged up to them. Greeting the man, the trio went into the house, Kasamatsu feeling a lot better.

"Reiko won't be down for a while, my wife wanted to go all-out on her daughter." Ryouhei said lightly as he took a seat on the sofa. Kasamatsu was itching to ask the man about his look, but he kept his mouth shut.

"That's to be expected." Kenji nodded. "Females always tend to take forever to get ready for some reason."

"Because they're so damn indecisive." Ryouhei said with an eye roll. "You see how I look? Rei and Ritsu have been stressing me out because Rei is unsure of what to wear. And apparently, she changed her mind from the dress that she had originally intended to wear."

"Isn't it because they have a wider wardrobe to choose from?" Kasamatsu piped in unwittingly. The other two men looked at him with raised brows. "I mean, for men, all we have to do is choose the colour of our suits, whilst they have to choose between different styles of dresses, length, colour, jewellery and such."

"You're so considerate." Ryouhei said. "I've never thought about it that way, but females are still indecisive creatures."

"Right?" Kenji agreed.

The two men continued their chat for a while longer, occasionally dragging in Kasamatsu as well. It wasn't long after that Reiko descended with Ritsuko behind her. To say that the younger female was beautiful would be an understatement. Kasamatsu couldn't even find the right words to describe her.

She wore a wine-red cross-neck long dress with a slit-leg and open-back. Her blonde hair was curled and side-swept to fall over her shoulder and down to her abdomen. There was a beautiful pearl clip at the side part, that matched her pearl earrings and bracelet. Her make-up was perfect, her eyeshadow and lipstick matching her dress.

"Look at my Princess." Ryouhei sniffed in joy, even wiping away the tears with his index. "She's beautiful."

Kasamatsu stood there in shock. He knew that Reiko was beautiful from the first time he saw her, but this was...breathtaking.

"Kasamatsu-kun! You're here!" she perked in joy. "Thank you!"

But the captain couldn't respond. He was dumbstruck by her beauty, and he could do was gawk in awe at her.

"Oi, boy," Ryouhei said, nudging him back to reality. "What's wrong?"

"Oh!" Kasamatsu was a bit startled. "Sorry, it's just that she's so beautiful I couldn't say anything."

Ryouhei grinned at his honesty.

"Alright, enough of this, time for some pictures!" Ritsuko chirped. She pushed the two close together, and both she and Ryouhei and even Kenji had their phones poised and ready. But knowing Kasamatsu and his shyness, he was a bit...nervous and a bit far away.

Seeing the distance, a dark aura seeped out of the two parents, which scared the captain into pulling Reiko close to him and forcing a smile.

"Yas! Cute!" Ritsuko screeched as she snapped. "Another pose! Come on!"

And for five minutes, Kasamatsu was subjected to torture of the Kise family, and Kenji just allowed it to happen.

After everything was done, Kenji drove the two teenagers to the venue, which seemed like one of the famous hotels in Tokyo. Kasamatsu wouldn't know much in this area. Kenji stopped at the porte-cochère to drop them off and then going to park. Kasamatsu got out first and aided her out.

"Well, let's go, Reiko-san." Kasamatsu said while extending a hand out to her. He was still a bit nervous, and when he tried to take Takao's advice, he realized that imagining Reiko as her little brother would be... _disturbing._

They entered into the lobby through the pristine twin doors, every step they took echoed on the marble-tiled floor. A golden chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, but strangely, it's use was not to provide light, but for decoration. Luxurious sofas were found in patches across the grand space, the reception desk was made out of wood, a light brown colour.

As Reiko and Kasamatsu continued to walk, they noticed paintings hung from the cream walls. They navigated around the people there, it was clear that most of them present were for the ball. Some took pictures in the far corner, some sat in the sofas, some just walked around looking at the paintings.

As they made it to the reception desk, the two showed their tickets, and proceeded to the ballroom. Kasamatsu was glad for this, as he could feel the stares the moment he and Reiko stepped in. Reaching the ballroom, they were stunned.

The two entered into a candlelit room full of silver candelabra and gorgeous soft blooms. Silver chiavari chairs surrounded the tables with linens of white silk and tall centrepieces atop a mirrored base with candlelight around it. There was a warm yet romantic feeling coming from the room and surprisingly, given the amount of people present, Kasamatsu thought that the room would be flooded with boisterous chatter.

They then made their way over to a free table, Kasamatsu was a little bit uncomfortable when he saw the seating amount. Six people per table. Excluding Reiko, the other people who will come to sit are going to be complete strangers to him. Oh goodie.

"Kasamatsu-kun," Reiko started with a bright smile. Kasamatsu looked at her and realized that Kise and his sisters' smiles were inherited from Ryouhei.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Thanks for accompanying me!" She perked. "I honestly was at a loss because I didn't know who to bring. For a while, I was tempted to dye Ryoucchi's hair and have him wear contacts. You're a life saver!"

Kasamatsu laughed at that. "Seriously? It couldn't be that bad."

Reiko gave him a look. "Until you have a brother and a father like mine, then come back to me with that argument."

"Case closed. My family isn't like that ―" the captain abruptly stopped before starting up again, "―well, I haven't introduced any girl to them yet so, I don't know how Dad will react."

Reiko laughed, her beautiful face seeming to light up the place around her. She then looked down and fiddled with her thumbs. "Just to let you know, I can't dance but I'll be dancing anyway." She sounded shy here.

"You can't dance?"

"Nope!" she said as she formed an "X" with her arms. "So I'm just letting you know that your toes may end up destroyed tonight."

Kasamatsu shivered. "Please step lightly."

Reiko chuckled at his expressions. "Don't worry, I won't be dancing in my shoes. I can't afford to sprain my ankle." Kasamatsu involuntarily exhaled a sigh of relief.

A couple minutes passed by and the two were engaged in friendly chatter. Kasamatsu realized that Reiko wasn't _that_ much of a talker compared to Kise who seemed to be a parrot. Also, he found that she was into basketball, because of Kise, as according to her: "Watching Ryoucchi slaughter anyone in his way is quite exhilarating". The captain didn't know what to make of that statement and brushed it off as a quirk of the Kise gene. Apart from basketball, Reiko inquired about his idol life, and asked why hadn't he been in a band before since he had wanted to be a bassist.

"Ah, I only did music as a hobby, so it didn't cross my mind." Kasamatsu had replied honestly.

"I see."

Aside from him, Kasamatsu got to know Reiko a little bit better, and found that she wanted to become a teacher and that she volunteers her time at orphanages to teach the children there how to read, kanji, math and other various subjects.

Kasamatsu nearly fell out of his chair.

He knew that Reiko was smart, being that she went to Horikoshi High. _The_ Horikoshi High. He applauded her on that, while he wasn't a dunce, he doubted that he'd be able to teach all the subjects that Reiko did. But one thing bothered him, why was the Kise siblings so _different_? Ruiko was like a yakuza boss ―instilling fear and ordering people around with an iron fist, Reiko was the calm and modest individual and Kise was...the two-faced bastard who only showed his happy-go-lucky side to those who earned his respect, but looks down on those who don't.

Such a disparity between them.

"Rei-chan!" he heard a shout coming from the door.

"Ayaka-chan! Mai-chan!" she greeted with a chirp. "Takeru-kun! Asao-kun!"

There were two other girls making their way over to them, both with their dates. The one ―Ayaka ―Kasamatsu presumed, was dressed in a green off-the-shoulder mermaid dress and straight black hair done in a pretty updo style, and the other, Mai was in a long yellow strapless dress.

The two girls took their seats beside Reiko on her left since Kasamatsu was on her right. The dates followed suit, greeting them as they sat. The males were in generic suits, however, Ayaka's date ―Takeru was in a light blue suit while Mai's date ―Asao was in a dark purple suit.

"So, who's the date?" Takeru asked, glancing in Kasamatsu's direction. He felt so uncomfortable being that he's the youngest at the table.

"I was getting there." Reiko said with an eye roll. She introduced the four to the captain and vice-versa. Takeru and Asao had looks of shock and joy on their faces when they heard his name, leaving confused.

"You're Kaijou's Kasamatsu?" Asao asked. The captain nodded his response. "Oh great! I play the same position, couldn't you give me some tips!? I still remember the Touou match, you know?"

"Right?" Takeru joined in. "Your ace is a flipping monster!"

Kasamatsu grinned, glad that he's found kindred spirits.

And so, more people strolled in, the chatter in the room rising considerably. Mai and Ayaka were the ones who spoke the most, Reiko putting in her bits every now and then. Soon, the programme started, the host doing a good job in getting the students in the mood.

"So let's dance!"

"Whoo!"

And so, music started to play and the students (most of them) flooded the dance-floor. Reiko viciously dragged Kasamatsu out there, Ayaka and Mai following close behind with Takeru and Asao. The six took their places on the dance-floor and were having fun, Kasamatsu was appalled at Reiko. She couldn't dance, but she was _moving._

As the music continued to play, it seemed as though gravity became non-existent. The rhythm and beats spun around Kasamatsu and Reiko, making the two feel like they were the only ones on the dance-floor. Reiko laughed as they danced, the joy and excitement evident on her face. She had even lost track on how many times she's squashed Kasamatsu's foot, but being the gentleman that he is, he still smiled brightly at her as they danced over the ballroom floor.

As he spun her, he caught how her lush blonde hair bounced as though matching the beat. She wasn't shy or anything, as a matter of fact, she didn't care about her surroundings. Pointed and rehearsed moves didn't matter at this moment, she could crush his feet all she wanted, she could stumble and fumble all she could, she could flail around like a small bird learning to fly all she wanted ―all that mattered to Kasamatsu was that she was having fun. And because she was having fun, he was too.

How infectious she was.

He had long forgotten about his shyness and whatnot...he'll admit that he was comfortable with Reiko. While she was bright and perky like Kise, there was a part of her that was mature and serious, not airheaded and whiny like his ace.

But he was taken out of his thoughts as Reiko's pace quickened, her dress getting in the way of her heels making her look even clumsier than she already was. Kasamatsu chuckled and took over. He pulled her close to him and used a stance to make it easier for her to follow.

He twirled her around, and when she felt like it, she hopped and jumped and whatever, dragging him in her embarrassment as well. It was amusing, but he admired this about her. She danced ―although she was just doing random shit most of the times ―as though no one's watching. She was fearless.

At one point, she took off her shoes and placed them under their table before dashing back onto the ballroom and into Kasamatsu's waiting arms.

Suddenly, the music changed its pace to a slow and relaxing song. The slow music weaved around them, the soft melody of the piano setting the perfect atmosphere. Kasamatsu held Reiko gingerly ―one hand on her back and the other clasping her free hand. She was standing on his feet since she didn't have on her heels, and rested her head on his chest allowing him to sway her body 'round and 'round.

Kasamatsu was glad that she couldn't see his face because he was as red as a tomato or even redder. He was never _this_ close to a girl, and he was probably fretting since she could possibly hear his raging heartbeat.

As if on cue, Reiko started, "Kasamatsu-kun, if you don't calm down, you'll get a heart attack."

"R-right…" he stuttered out.

But unbeknownst to them, Mai had been videoing them for the longest while.

Sadly, the evening wouldn't go smoothly. At one point, a pompous male had the audacity to demand Reiko from Kasamatsu, disrupting their flow.

"Excuse me?" Kasamatsu asked, trying to sound polite.

"I said ―"

"Scram Nishida!" Reiko spat cutting him off. "I'm never dancing with you!" She then dragged a confused Kasamatsu away from the black haired male. However, Nishida's face twisted with anger.

"What was that about?"

"He's a popular guy that most girls throw themselves at." Reiko said as she rolled her eyes. "And he's rich, so he gets anything he wants. So, he thinks that I would do his shitty bidding as well."

"Oh." Was all Kasamatsu could utter.

But now, she was royally pissed and her mood ruined. So, she returned to their table with a sour look on her face.

"Man, Nishida sure knows how to ruin people's moods." Takeru said with a drawl. "If I could just kill him and not leave evidence..."

"I know right?" Asao agreed.

Just then, the music changed and so did Reiko's mood. As a matter of fact, the three girls dashed out onto the dance-floor, screaming in joy and leaving their dates looking confused. Reiko, Mai and Ayaka danced together, looking like three idiots. They were having fun so they didn't care what others thought.

Asao videoed them with a grin on his face, but that was when disaster struck. Nishida, who was still peeved that Reiko turned him down (and has been ever since first year), made his way to the dancing trio.

"Kise-san," he started, holding his hands behind his back.

"What?!" Reiko snapped. Ayaka and Mai were emitting dark auras behind Reiko.

Asao, who had been videoing could see what was going to happen, so he quickly shouted, "Run, Kise!"

However, it was too late. Nishida threw his cup with punch or whatever directly at her dress, effectively ruining it. Everyone seemed to have stilled, ignoring the music playing.

"Oops." Nishida said with a sinister smirk. "My hand slipped."

While Kasamatsu never cared about Horikoshi's school drama, this was something that he couldn't let pass. As if on automatic, the captain bolted out of his chair towards the older male, and gave him a kick that sent him flying. It was reminiscent of how he kicked Kise for being an idiot, but this time, his kick held no mercy. Asao and Takeru had to act quickly to restrain Ayaka and Mai.

"My dress..." Reiko whimpered. "...Onee-chan made me this dress..."

"Come, let's head to the bathroom. I'll see what I can do about it." Kasamatsu said.

"I have to kill him first." she hissed. She spun on her bare foot and as soon as Nishida was getting up, she used a spinning kick, sending the heel of her foot crashing into his left jaw. Before things could escalate any further, Kasamatsu grabbed her (he was thankful that she was smaller than him) and bolted for the bathroom.

…

"My dress is ruined. I don't think anything you do will be able to fix this. Let's just go home." Reiko said, sadly.

Kasamatsu shook his head and took off his blazer and vest. "I know a trick or two. And you can't let that bastard win. If you leave now, he'll rejoice."

Reiko kept quiet. "So what are you going to do?"

"You have to take off your dress." Kasamatsu said, "Don't worry, I'll turn my back."

Reiko did just that, but was curious as to what Kasamatsu had in mind. Then, he gave her his white button down shirt. She looked at it quizzically, wondering how will his shirt save the situation.

"First, wear the shirt under your arms like a strapless dress. Of course, you need to close the buttons to your liking." he instructed.

She followed what he said and at this, her interest was piqued. "I'm done."

"Good." He spun around to face her, and began adjusting the buttons and side seams to fit her body and folded the collar at the back. He then tied the sleeves once at the front as though she was wearing a jacket around her waist. This created a nice style at the front. He then brought the sleeves to the back and tied it in a bow. Again, he was glad that she was smaller than him.

"There. Take a look." Kasamatsu said as he spun her around to face the mirror.

Reiko's eyes widened at the sight. "How did you do this?!" she turned around to see the back, "Who taught you this?!"

"My mom. I always help her whenever she's indecisive and jumps into one of Dad's shirts."

"Oh." to say she was shocked would be an understatement. But then she looked at him. Thankfully, he had on a t-shirt underneath, so all he did was put on his blazer and folded his vest in his arms. Seeing a job well done, Kasamatsu stuck out his arm and Reiko took it.

"Now let's show that bastard that nothing can stop you."

Ayaka and Mai had been standing outside the door to prevent anyone from going in. It was the female restroom, so girls may end up freaked out if they saw Kasamatsu in there. They had brought her shoes as well, so when she emerged, the two girls were shocked.

"What-what-how…?" Mai couldn't form her words properly.

"It's his shirt." Reiko answered.

" _We can see that!"_ They screeched.

"I'm asking how did you get it like _that_!" Ayaka added.

"He did. I didn't do anything but stand there."

All eyes darted to Kasamatsu. He sighed and said, "Not now."

"That's right, we have a dance-floor to conquer!" Reiko screamed and sped off pulling Kasamatsu. He wanted to break out in tears now that she had on her heels. But he decided that he should be able to handle it. When they reached in the midst of the crowd, they were stared at, given that Reiko was in his shirt and his blazer was unbuttoned so everyone could see his t-shirt.

"Let's rock this crowd, Kasamatsu-kun!"

"Hai, hai." he ended up agreeing.

This was going to be a _long_ night.

_xxxx_

By the time Kasamatsu reached home, it was minutes after one o'clock. He was tired, but he must admit that he had fun. He took off his shoes at the genkan and relished the silence as he walked to the living room. He took off his blazer and rubbed his feet, realizing that Reiko _really_ loved dancing. Way too much.

"Ah...tonight was fun." he said as he sighed.

"Really, Senpai? Do tell!" he heard an all too familiar voice.

"That's right, Yu-chan!"

Kasamatsu wanted to scream. There the other four were, emerging from their room all decked out in their pyjamas. He thought they would have been asleep since it's _after_ one o'clock in the morning!

"Why are you up?!" he asked in disbelief.

Kagami started, "Because this thing won't let me sleep." he yawned, referring to Kise.

"I need to know what happened with Reiko-nee." Kise said, plopping himself beside Kasamatsu on the sofa. He ignored Kagami's comment.

"I just feel uneasy knowing that someone is still out on the street. I couldn't sleep until you're back." Kuroko responded. Kasamatsu agreed with the light-blue haired teen. His mother at home was like that.

The captain then turned to Takao in which the boy replied, "Your warm presence radiates upwards, you know? My bed was cold."

Kasamatsu got up and was leaving when they asked, "Where are you going?"

He replied, "the shower. I've been dancing for far too long." he quickly headed to the shower before they made their comments. He had left his phone on the table and the moment he turned on the shower pipe, his phone rang. Hearing the ringtone, Kasamatsu broke out in tears. He could literally hear Kise's endless teasing for the weeks to come.

"Senpai~" Kise called in a sing-song voice, "Reiko-nee is calling~"

Kasamatsu turned his face upwards in the direction of the running water. "Give me the phone." he groaned out.

"Hai, hai...Onii-chan~"

At this moment, Kasamatsu knew he was doomed and wished the earth would swallow him whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	22. A New Season Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned is One Ok Rock - "Clock Strikes"

 

"Ow!" Takao screeched as he crashed face-first into the floor. The music immediately stopped as everyone rushed to his aid. Kagami and Kise helped him up onto his feet, Kasamatsu and Hikaru checked if there were any bruises. He was fine.

"What happened, Takao-kun?" Hikaru asked.

Takao laughed sheepishly, "I tripped."

Currently, they were practising their choreography, Hikaru being his usual merciless self. But this choreo was tricky compared to their other songs, and the only one to get it quickly was Kise because of his damn copy ability. Often times the copycat laughs at their struggles, but there are other times when he feels pity for them. Kuroko followed suit behind Kise due to his experience in dancing for so many years.

"Alright, it's good that you didn't hurt anywhere." Hikaru sighed in relief. He then paused and asked, "You _didn't_ right?"

"No Sir~" Takao said playfully. "I feel fine."

"Great," the older Kuroko clapped. "Take a ten minute break and we'll resume after."

The boys groaned, " _Only_ ten minutes?"

Hikaru decided to be evil here, "Oh...since you feel that way, how about five?" He knew full well that they wanted more time, but he _loved_ to see their expressions.

"No! Ten minutes is fine!"

The dance instructor laughed out loud. He _loved_ messing with them. "It's alright, I planned to end practice early today. So you're free to go."

"Really?!" they screeched in joy.

"Yes." Hikaru nodded. "I'll still be around since I have to speak with Kenji. If you need anything, hit me up."And with that Hikaru left the room, all five collapsed onto their butts, hydrating themselves.

"Damn, I like the song, but this routine is a killer. I think it's probably worse than _Baby_ was." Kagami grumbled. "It's cool, but..."

"I get you Kagamicchi." Kise nodded.

"You have no say in this!" the redhead shouted. "You get everything with just one look!"

Kise smirked, "Jealous are we?"

Takao sighed. He could literally feel the grey hairs growing. These two were always at each other's throats for even the pettiest of things. It was strange, he realized, how _friendly_ they were on the court, but at home...they argue and fight like a cat and dog. His eyes subconsciously trailed over to Kuroko, who had pulled a novel out of his bag and to Kasamatsu who was busy typing away on his phone. A small smile graced his face as he had a feeling of _who_ the captain might be texting.

It's only been a week since Kasamatsu accompanied Reiko, but they've been messaging and calling each other practically everyday. What made it worse, Reiko told Kise _everything_ that happened, and even sent the videos and pictures that Mai sent to her phone. Of course, the others showered him with teases when they heard everything (and after Kise calmed his murderous self down as he was ready to slaughter the Nishida guy with his parents). Kise had even started calling him "Onii-chan". At that, Kasamatsu properly kicked him into oblivion.

"Yu-chan~" Takao sang as he leaned closer to the older boy.

"Hmm?"

"Who are you texting?" he asked playfully as though he didn't already know the answer.

Kasamatsu reddened as he put down the phone on his bag. "A friend."

"Oh really ―" Takao broke off as he heard a ringtone. It was Kasamatsu's song "Wherever You Are". All eyes stared at the captain as he answered his phone call, and when he was done, Kuroko gave out:

"Isn't that a bit risky, Kasamatsu-senpai?"

"How so?" Kasamatsu asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion. "It isn't like people will know that I'm the one singing here."

"That's true but you'll never know what could happen." Kagami shrugged.

Kasamatsu laughed, "Seriously? Nothing will happen. It's not that like we'll be a rock band or something."

A deadly silence befell them as they wore guilty expressions. Kasamatsu couldn't believe it. "Oi, oi, oi...you can't be serious about that." No answer. "Right?" Kasamatsu was getting worried.

"Senpai, Senpai," Kise started shaking his head. It seemed like he was building up to something, when suddenly he gave out, "I have to run. See you at home." At that the blond sauntered out of the room and headed to freshen up, leaving the others (especially Kasamatsu) in bewilderment. These days, Kise tends to run off somewhere without telling them where he was going, but at least he had the decency to come back before dinner. The first two instances they hadn't minded, but it's becoming an everyday thing.

"What do you think he's doing?" Takao asked, genuinely worried. They even forgot about earlier. "He isn't being blackmailed?"

Kasamatsu placed a fist in his palm. "Anyone who dares to do that will be killed."

"Why can't we trail him?" Kagami suggested. "Well, Kuroko can. I have a feeling that we'll stick out like sore thumbs."

Kuroko sighed. Spying on Kise was not in his job description. "Can't we just _ask_?"

"He may lie." the other three gave out. Kuroko snapped his book shut and sighed.

"We're going to ask when he gets home. If we feel he's lying, _then_ I'll follow him."

…

A taxi pulled up in front of the "Euphoria" ―a live house located in one of the busiest places of Yokohama. After paying the driver, Kise hopped out of the car, and made his way inside. By the time he navigated his way past the stage and audience area, he opened a door nestled to the right entering a hallway. After passing by a couple doors he entered one on the right, the blond meeting who he intended.

There the male was, smirking at Kise with that bad boy smile ―Sugimoto Makio. He was a tall young man with shoulder length dark hair and dyed purple ends, his front fringe clipped back. His brown eyes stared with excitement at Kise as the blond teen practically _skipped_ over to him.

"Yo!" Makio greeted, pushing himself off the wall. "You're here early."

"Of course." Kise grinned.

Makio laughed, "Now let's get going, shall we? I'll be busy soon." he then turned around and Kise followed him like its the usual thing to do. They went downstairs into what seemed to be a basement. In the large room, there were two drum sets ―one set having more drums than the other ―and amplifiers and other musical equipment. Makio got comfortable around the sparkling purple drums that had his name "Makki" on the front of the Bass Drum and the sticks in a cool design.

"You're ready?"

"Of course." Kise smirked as he sat around the other drum set and took up the sticks.

…

When Kise reached home, he noticed that no one was in the living room. He quickly took off his shoes and trotted inside. He went inside their bedroom to change his clothes and found it empty. He started to wonder where they could have gone, as due to the frightening sound proofing of the rooms here, he wouldn't even be able to hear a scream.

Kise left their bedroom and headed to the other room and found all four sitting around the table, as usual with Kasamatsu playing his acoustic guitar. Kise heaved a sigh of relief.

"You're back." Kasamatsu began, "So, where did you go?"

"Yokohama," the blond replied as he took a seat. He wasn't lying, "Euphoria" was located in the area after all and it was roughly an hour from here in a taxi if there's no traffic and couple minutes by Shinkansen.

"For what?" Kuroko asked.

"To see someone."

"Who?" Takao asked.

Kise drew back, _this feels like an interrogation!_ He thought. But, he realized that he couldn't hide it from them for long, as if Kuroko felt like it, he could tail him and he wouldn't even notice. So with a sigh, Kise said,

"You guys remember Makio, right?" Eyebrows rose in confusion. "Sugimoto-san!" he threw his hands up in the air for dramatic effect. He just couldn't believe that they forgot about him already.

"Oh, the purple haired guy." Takao said in realization. "Ruiko's fiancé, right?"

"Yes. Him."

"So what about him?" Kagami asked.

"I went to meet him." Kise said. But he continued as he could hear the "Why?" lingering in the air, "Remember when I told you guys about my soon-to-be brother-in-law who is a master of the drums?"

"Yes, the former drummer." they drawled. "We know."

"Before I got into basketball, he taught me the basics." Cue the jaw-dropping. "So, I figured that since Senpai could play the guitar, I could play the drums and help create rhythms and such for his oh-so wonderful songs." He batted his lashes playfully here, hoping to calm the onslaught that may follow.

" _You can play the drums?!"_ Came the screech from the others.

"Uh, yeah. I can knock a couple basic beats." Kise said, covering his ears. "But I'm still an amateur. I haven't reached mastery yet."

Kasamatsu looked _shocked._ "So, you decided to continue for what? To create beats for my songs?"

Kise flashed him a smile. "Well, yeah. It's not like I'm _completely_ new to the drums. I just figured that..." he trailed off.

"I appreciate it, but we're idols. You learning the drums will be ―"

"We can be a band!" Takao perked cutting him off. "It could be a side-project of ours! Like how idol groups have sub-units and such, we can do the same thing, just a different genre of music!"

Kasamatsu paled and nearly fainted.

"I'm already on the drums, so what are you going to play?" Kise asked, grinning like a fool and ignoring Kasamatsu's pale look.

"Guitar! Tai-chan and I can play the guitars!" Takao shrieked. "I wanna look cool like Yu-chan!"

Kise and Takao's eyes then travelled to Kuroko who was reading and barely participating in the conversation. As if he could read their minds, the light-blue haired teen said in his usual deadpan, "Keyboard." And went back to reading.

Kasamatsu placed his face in his palms. They couldn't be serious. They were just rattling off due to emotions and the heat of the moment...That's what Kasamatsu would love to believe but the fact that Kise has been going to Makio to learn the drums is a serious matter.

He knew he should stop them, but no sound came out of his mouth.

"But which guitar would I play?" Takao asked, "Shit, what's the cost for a guitar anyway?" the hawk-eyed boy then turned to Kasamatsu, "Yu-chan! Help!"

Kasamatsu sighed. "There are many types of guitars, three of which are mainly used in rock bands ―Lead, Bass and Rhythm. The fourth is this one," he said as he tapped the guitar in his hand, "Is called the Acoustic. I don't need to explain anything." he continued, "The Lead guitar is the one that gets the cool solos, Rhythm drives the music and plays the accompaniment chords to the Lead's melody, Bass is the deep sound." Kasamatsu tried his best to break it down simple for them, since they knew next to nothing about instruments.

"Oh."

"About the price, don't worry. I can give you one of mine. Kagami too."

"Really Senpai?!"

"Yes. I have like twelve at home." he then mumbled, "Well, eleven are at home since I have this one with me."

"Really?!"

"Yes. I've been learning how to play since I was four. Now I'm seventeen, do the math."

"I think we found our Lead Guitarist." Kise said with a chuckle. He leaned back and folded his arms. "You write awesome songs Senpai. If you give these songs to bands to sing, I doubt that they will do it justice."

"Plus, I believe you should be the one to sing your songs and not someone else." Takao pitched in. "Unless, you write a song with a person's voice in mind or something."

Kasamatsu sighed. This couldn't go on any longer. "Guys, as much fun as it would be, we _cannot_ be a band. We have basketball and our work to do."

There was silence for a second. All eyes were on the captain and seeing their faces, Kasamatsu felt relieved as it looked like he knocked some senses into them.

"Senpai, learning an instrument to mastery level takes ten thousand hours. That's roughly one year and some mash if we practice everyday. But, given what we're up to, we won't have the time to practice everyday. So it'll take more than that." Kise tapped his index on his chin in thought, "it'll probably take two years before we can think about world domination in rock music."

Even if Kise says that, Kasamatsu ―and everyone else―knew that the blond bastard is a fast learner with or without his copy ability. Add to that, Kise has been learning the drums _before_ he even started basketball. Which means, he already started his "ten thousand hours".

He looked across to Takao and Kagami. They can already read sheet music, so learning to read guitar notations shouldn't take much time. It's the techniques that he's currently worrying about. Letting out a groan, Kasamatsu slammed his forehead on the table. If he should follow them, he'll go insane for sure.

"Oh My God! Senpai!" Kise screeched as he thought something had gone wrong with Kasamatsu.

"I'm fine." Kasamatsu replied, shrugging off the screaming blond. "It's just that..." he trailed off, "...this is something that you guys can't do on a whim. It may not be like idol work where you have to keep up an image, or learn choreography and the whatnot, but rock bands have their struggles too. It's not something you'd ―"

"Yu-chan," Takao started, his voice abnormally serious. "We know. It's just that, we can't let your songs go to waste, nor your voice. You have the sweetest sounding voice out of all of us, you know?"

Kise nodded vigorously beside him. "Don't worry, we'll take it in strides." he then grinned. "After all we're aiming for World Domination!"

Kasamatsu gave up. He realized that their minds won't be changed. Even Kuroko, who's _supposed_ to be their voice of reason is ignoring the conversation. But in Kasamatsu's eyes, the light-blue haired teen is silently agreeing to their schemes. He then wondered what Kenji would think about this, but thought that what the manager doesn't know won't hurt him.

"So, since you're all hell-bent on this, Takao, Kagami which guitar will you play? Who's on the bass and rhythm?"

Without a word, Kagami and Takao stood up and got into position for Janken. It was a usual thing for the five, decisions were made with janken. Quick and easy.

"Alright, let's go! Jan...ken….pon!"

At the draw, Kagami had scissors while Takao had paper. That meant, Kagami was going to play the bass while Takao played the rhythm. There were no cheering since, in both boys' eyes, a guitar was a guitar even though they produced different sounds. Kise was humming in joy in his seat, Kuroko was still reading his novel, hiding his smile behind the book.

Now that that was settled, Kasamatsu went back to his strumming and humming, when Kuroko interrupted him and asked,

"What's the name of the song, Senpai?" he took up the lyric sheet and looked at it. "And why are some of the lyrics in English? As a matter of fact, you're first song was partially in English too." he later added, "The lyrics are nice though."

Kasamatsu chuckled. "I'm just practising my English." he then answered his earlier question, "The title is _"Clock Strikes"._ "

"Hold on." Kagami said, leaning forwards contemplatively. "We won't need amplifiers, will we?"

They paused immediately.

"Well ―" Kasamatsu broke off as Kise placed a hand on his shoulder.

He whipped out his phone and messaged Makio. Without even waiting ten seconds properly, the drummer replied to the text with a trail of emojis.

With a triumphant grin, Kise said, "We're safe."

Kasamatsu frowned. He was going to tell them that he had two amplifiers at home for his guitars, but...oh well.

_xxxx_

The cherry blossoms that decorated most of the trees swayed in the wind while some fell to the ground, littering the streets, sidewalks and students with their beauty. It was now Spring, which meant, a new school year was beginning.

"Can't believe I'm a second year already..." Kise groaned out as he sat in the sofa, fully dressed in his uniform except for his shoes.

"I know right? It feels like just yesterday that I was entering Shutoku." Takao agreed. He then grinned as he looked in Kasamatsu's direction. "So before you know it, we'll be mastering our instruments, ne, Yu-chan?"

Kasamatsu snorted his response.

It's been a couple weeks since they decided to take up the rock band venture, and so far, it isn't going bad. At the moment, Kasamatsu is teaching Takao and Kagami the theory needed for the guitars ―from simple things such as structure to complex notation and tablature, Kasamatsu made sure to cover it all. Kuroko was learning how to play the keyboard from Akamine-sensei without the man being none the wiser and of course, Kise continued to visit Makio.

"Don't be like that, Yu-chan!" Takao pouted.

"What? I didn't say anything."

"That's it." the hawk-eyed boy huffed. "You're supposed to be encouraging. Say things like ―" he broke off when he saw the captain's face. Takao couldn't tell if Kasamatsu's expression was showing disgust or the "you've got to be kidding me" look.

"Senpai, what's with that look?" Kise chuckled, fighting to stifle down his laughter. Kasamatsu hadn't the energy so he rolled his eyes at the blond ace. Kuroko sat there glancing at them every now and then, amused. He realized that he lived with an entertaining bunch, and wants to savour every moment that he could.

But it didn't last long as their front door opened and Kenji entered with a bright yet frightening smile on his face. To the untrained eye, Kenji looked like a bright ball of sunshine who could probably rival Kise, but to those who knew him well, beneath that smile lies something else.

"Hey boys." he greeted.

"Hey..." they drawled out, fretting about what's coming.

"Don't be like that, I'm just here for a talk before you leave." he smiled, although he's the one who always brings the Tokyo boys to school.

"Which is…?"

"This is a new school year, right?" the manager started. The boys nodded as they looked at the man with confusion. "That means, _Kagami-kun, Kise-kun..._ " he emphasized their names far too much. But at this, the boys knew what was coming. "Those grades need to improve."

"H-hai!"

"I'm not asking you to become excellent students, but get some good grades. Jeez, you know, I nearly fainted when I saw your reports."

"I'm still surprised when I saw Kagami-kun fail English that time." Kuroko piped up. "Have you even thanked Midorima-kun for his pencil?"

"Kuroko you little ―!"

"Alright, alright. But try to do your best this time around, ne?" Kenji smiled. _"Or else."_

"Yes Sir!" all five unwittingly gave out although he was mostly referring to Kise and Kagami.

And as such, Kagami, Kuroko and Takao grabbed their bags, put on their shoes and followed Kenji out through the door, leaving Kasamatsu and Kise behind.

_xxxx_

At all three schools, the entrance ceremonies progressed smoothly, of course, Kagami was peeved that he _still_ had to attend. Being away in America made him forget that even though entrance ceremonies are to welcome the incoming crop of students, the older ones had to be in attendance as well.

At first, he'd thought that all he'd do is hand out flyers of the basketball club to try and recruit new members, but to his horror, when the bell rang, Kuroko jabbed him in the side and told him that they had entrance ceremony. _Still._ And so, Kagami walked around with a sour look on his face and dark aura oozing out of him and Kuroko, who was beside him, seemed totally unaffected by it.

But when the ceremony ended and they had to head to their new classrooms, the redhead was _glad_ that he and Kuroko ended up in the same class although many of their classmates had changed.

Over by Shutoku, while Takao wasn't seething as much as Kagami, he was dying of _boredom._ In his first year, he had brought along a manga to read during the speeches, but this time, he _forgot._ He cursed himself as he wept, as he could do nothing to alleviate his suffering. He managed to get a seat next to Midorima, who seemed uninterested in his whining. And as usual, he had his lucky item, which was a cute dolphin plush toy.

But unlike Kagami and Kuroko, Takao wasn't going to be in the same class as Midorima. Since the green-haired shooter wanted to be a doctor, he opted to do the Sciences, while Takao was more on the arts side. But, the point guard never let it bother him, since he'll get to torture him in basketball practice anyway. However, someone else came in Midorima's space and that was his friend and (one-time) dance partner, Hattori Aika.

Takao grinned to himself when he saw her walk into the class. _This year ought to be fun with Ai-chan!_

At Kaijou, nothing special happened for Kasamatsu at the moment. Everyone was the same, chatting with their friends and the whatnot. He couldn't hear what they were saying, given that he had in his earphones and was blasting the rock music. Kenji and the others often found it strange that a pop idol listens to rock music instead of...well, pop. It wasn't that he hated the genre, it's just that he's too lazy to search for pop songs that he'd like, and far too lazy to sift through what Kise and Takao has on their laptops. That'll probably take days…

He was taken out of his thoughts when the bud was removed from his left ear. He turned to face the perpetrator, to see who really had the _audacity_ to interrupt ―

"Akagi! Can't you greet me normally for once?!" he roared when he saw the "perpetrator's" face.

The brunette grinned. "Of course. And I had been calling you for thirty seconds and you didn't respond. Instead you were humming and ignoring my existence." Akagi and Kasamatsu were good friends, and had been since first year because some unknown force was _always_ working to get them as seat mates in _every single class._

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. "So, what is it?"

Akagi's onyx eyes narrowed into a serious expression before he looked around the class for any possible eavesdroppers. He pulled his chair up to Kasamatsu's desk and leaned over.

"Kasamatsu, we've been stuck with each other since first year, right?" Akagi started, seeming as though he was building up to something.

"Yes, so just spit it out already." Kasamatsu nearly snapped.

"I know you're Yuki from Catal Rhythm."

Kasamatsu froze for a split second before he looked at Akagi with a face that said "Seriously?". He paused his music, rest his cheek on the back part of his hand and said in the calmest voice he could muster, "I don't even know what Catal Rhythm is. Are they a new rock band or something?"

Akagi sat there and practically gawked at Kasamatsu in shock and disbelief. Kasamatsu seemed unaffected and uninterested, he seemed as though Akagi was beginning to irritate him. He was so calm and collected that Akagi was the shocked one here.

"Stop denying it." he managed to say. Kasamatsu gave him a look.

"So, are they a rock band?"

"Gah! They're a pop idol group!"

"What ―!" Kasamatsu cut himself off as he realized that his voice was a bit too high. "―made you think _that_?!" he whispered. "I don't even listen to pop music." Deep inside, Kasamatsu was praying that his façade will dissuade Akagi from his thinking.

Akagi remained unchanged. He whipped out his phone, and scrolled a couple times before showing the captain the screen. It was his profile that the company (Kenji or probably Ren) posted. It was standard thing, idols and idol groups have profile posted about them which gradually updates as time passes.

"What about it? And since when are you a fan of pop music?"

"I'm not." Akagi replied. "What struck me was "Yuki's" motto. Remember in first year when Yamamoto-sensei had us create mottos to motivate us during the year?"

"Yeah. So what ―" then realization slapped him in the face like a bitch.

"Ah...you see what I mean, right?" Akagi was grinning like a sinister mad scientist. "Our class was the only one that did that, and your motto was one of a kind. There's no way anyone from the _same_ school and _same_ age, would have the _same exact_ motto as you. Plus, hardly anyone of the class was into that stuff." he continued, "Add to that, your stage name is "Yuki", your given name is Yukio and you attend Kaijou. Like bruh, I'm surprised that no one else from our first year class figured you out yet."

Kasamatsu couldn't speak.

So Akagi continued, "I wanted to make sure that it was all just a coincidence, but that episode of Idol Trend sealed the deal. Oh!" he perked up at this, "Kise is "Sunn" isn't he. He's the only one who calls you "Senpai" with an obnoxiously repulsive voice like that."

Once again, Kasamatsu couldn't speak. Instead, he dragged a hand over his face. He couldn't believe that this was happening. Akagi placed a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Don't worry about it. I'm not gonna tell anyone. Plus," he leaned back into his chair. "Your acting skills are top-notch. You nearly had me fooled a while there, you know? So you could fool anyone else who "think" they've figured out your identity."

"Right..."

"On that note, gimme your autograph. My cousin is a fan of yours." he said as he whipped out a small notepad. "She's the one who made me find you."

"Why? Won't she think it's fake? After all, an ordinary guy like you knowing an idol? She'll laugh you to scorn."

"How about you sing a part of "Hello" and I record your voice? She likes that song."

Kasamatsu stared at him before taking out his phone. "I have to ask my manager. I wouldn't want her to post it on the internet with a caption that may lead to misunderstandings."

"On second thought, let's postpone that. Idols get sunken sometimes for petty stuff, I couldn't live with myself if that happened to you."

"I wouldn't know." Kasamatsu shrugged.

Akagi roared with laughter, causing everyone in the class to look at them.

Meanwhile, a floor below them, Kise sat in his class peacefully. Before he and Kasamatsu walked through the school gates, he donned a black hoodie to cover his hair and face. But, he knew it wouldn't last long, since once the teacher came and marked the register, the entire class will know where Kise Ryouta sits.

He envied Kasamatsu in times like these, not having swarms of fangirls, or anyone pestering him about his (supposed) idol identity. He just wanted high school to be over and done with, so that he can escape from this torment.

_xxxx_

When school was over, the boys waited outside their school gates to be picked up. Since it was entrance ceremony, school was dismissed far earlier than the norm, so they had free time. But Kenji wasn't the one who would be picking them up. It would be Kise's father ―Ryouhei. The blond ace was heading to the "Euphoria" after this to practice more so the others decided to tag along to see how he was doing so far.

When Ryouhei picked them up (he started from Kaijou since it was nearer), he bought them lunch before dropping them off at Makio's place. Entering the "Euphoria", Kagami and Takao whistled, upon seeing the grand space.

"Oi, you're not here for sightseeing, you know?" a deep voice said from the left.

"Makicchi! Don't scare us like that!" Kise said.

"Well, it's not my fault you weren't aware of your surroundings, right?"

"I was!"

"Whatever you say Ryou, whatever you say."

The other four were staring at their interaction and wondered, if Makio was Ruiko's fiancé, why was he trying to get Kasamatsu and Reiko together. The older male then greeted them but there was no need for introductions since they met at Reiko's graduation and Kise talks about them _all the damn time._

As they followed Makio, Takao asked the question softly, after which Kise responded,

"He's pretty awesome but his only downfall is that he hates basketball." Kise sighed. "But even if he didn't, I'd still want Senpai and ―" he broke off and looked around to see if Kasamatsu was within range. Thankfully, he wasn't.

Soon, they reached the same room in which Kise plays the drums, and saw the blond settle on the smallest set as though it was a ritual.

"So, I've heard everything from Ryou." Makio started, taking up his sticks and slumping slightly over his Bass Drum, " _Everything._ " When he saw the venomous glares the blond was getting, he quickly said, "It's not his fault! I was just curious as to why he wanted to return to the drums since he loves basketball so much!" he waved his hands in dismissal.

That softened their glares.

Makio cleared his throat and continued with the serious atmosphere, "I want to know if you're sure that you're serious about this?" he asked. "You're idols and well..."

"Of course!" came the screech from Kise and Takao.

"Ah...I see." he nodded as he straightened. "I've been in a band before, and trust me, it's not going to be easy."

"We know."

"Alright. Now that that's settled, tell me, what's your line-up like?" he then asked as he slowly tapped his Snare Drum with his sticks. Kasamatsu had been tinkering with a guitar he saw nestled in the far side of the room, when he heard Makio. "Ryou hasn't told me that and I'm extremely curious."

"Well, Senpai is the Lead guitarist, Takaocchi and Kagamicchi are the rhythm and bass, Kurokocchi is the Keyboard."

Makio froze and looked at Kise with incredulity. "So who's your frontman? Or you haven't decided yet because you all can sing?"

"It's Yu-chan!" Takao perked. "He writes amazing songs and his voice is angelic! It'll make the ladies melt like butter!"

"What!? Kuroko's voice is good too!" Kasamatsu retorted, trying to hide his blush.

"I beg to differ." the light-blue haired teen replied.

Makio started up again, prompting Kise to follow. The others were swaying a bit to the beat of the drums, but Makio kept playing the more difficult parts while Kise didn't.

"Okay, so..." Makio paused as he concentrated on playing, "...you'll be playing the guitar and singing? Are you sure you wanna do that?"

Kasamatsu sighed. He knew he'd find a kindred spirit in the man. "I'm not sure."

The others could hear a tire screech in the background and looked at the captain with shock.

"I want to play the guitar, but I'll be limited to a mic on a stand. Vocalists like to roam free and command the crowd. Plus, I'll already have it ingrained in me to move about the place."

The others exchanged glances upon realization. It was true what Kasamatsu was saying, as he had made them watch some lives of a couple bands and they did _see_ the difference between vocalists who only sang and those who doubled up on an instrument.

"Well, although it's still early, it's best to get these things out of the way." Makio started. He calmed the music on his part by lightly tapping on his cymbals while Kise continued to pound his Snare and Tom drums. "So what are you gonna do?"

Kasamatsu nodded while he played a set of chords to match Kise's drumming. Makio whistled at this and remembered when Kise told him that his Senpai was a guitar master. At first, he thought that the blond was exaggerating, but seeing him now made him rethink.

"I was thinking that I could use head-worn mics instead." the captain responded. "That way, I could still play and have some movement."

"That could work." Makio nodded, playing his drums once again. His movements were smooth and precise, yet strong and powerful. His muscles could be seen flexing underneath his skin, which could show how hard he was beating the instrument.

"Or...you could have Kazu-kun play the Lead when you're singing." Takao then mouthed to him "Who told you to call me Kazu"? But all Makio did was grin. "The lead and rhythm are two sides of the same coin anyway. But that'll mean either these songs won't be arranged with a rhythm guitar in mind but utilize the keyboard more."

"Wow, you know your stuff Makki-chan!" Takao said, Makio looked at the boy and mouthed "Who told you to call me Makki-chan"? to him but the hawk-eyed boy stuck out his tongue playfully at the young man.

Kise slammed his drumsticks down, causing everyone to look at him questioningly. "Can we talk about this after I finish my lesson today?" he asked with all the innocence he could muster. "I'm upset that I'm _struggling_ to play and Makicchi isn't even looking at me!"

"I don't need to look at you. I can listen."

"Mou~!" he whined.

Makio laughed and nearly fell off his throne. When he recovered he said, "Alright, alright. Let's go!"

"Finally."

_xxxx_

When the boys returned home, Kise was showered with even more teases. During his lesson with Makio, they teased him endlessly, and now that they're home, Kise was seriously thinking of switching with Kagami just to poison their food.

"Such a pretty face being wasted on the drums!" Takao howled out in laughter.

"Yeah, drummers don't really get that much stage time, do they?" Kagami asked as if trying to rub it in his face.

But Kise didn't mind playing the drums. He'd rather this than being on the guitar any day. And even though he has good social skills, he doubts that he'd be a good frontman. People will probably just see his face and not him. It was a change, for once, to not be in the spotlight feels refreshing.

"Hmph! Say what you want, but a band is nothing without a drummer!" he huffed as he folded his arms and sat in the sofa.

"So, anyway, what do you want for dinner?" Kagami asked as he put on his apron in the kitchen, changing the subject smoothly.

"Anything." they all answered.

"Okay."

But as he opened the fridge, yet again, their front door opened to reveal the grinning faces of Ren and Kiyotaka. Kenji lagged behind, and seeing _his_ face, they realized that they got work to do.

"Boys~! Guess what?" Ren chirped as he basically _skipped_ inside after he took off his shoes. He was met with blank stares, even from Kise.

"Such killjoys." he muttered. However, he perked up in an instant. "But! You have a live performance to do in Kyoto at a concert a month from now and a radio guesting this weekend."

" _EEHH?!_ " they screeched.

"No screeching boys, you need to take care of those vocal chords." Kiyotaka said as he handed Kasamatsu five envelopes which more than likely had outlined what the live performance was about. When the captain pulled one of the envelopes, the other four (Kagami included), surrounded him and read one of the papers.

" _EEHH?!_ "

They screeched with widened eyes. Kenji chuckled at their expressions, _this is just the tip of the iceberg my precious war potentials._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

 

Four boys could be seen sitting and hydrating themselves within a large room, a huge mirror before them. They had been practising not too long ago but decided to take a break from the rigorous activity. These four young men made up the pop idol group “Yume”.

“I can’t believe that we’ll be the main dish at a concert from now.” The tallest with bright red hair drawled as he chugged down his water. He had sparkling black eyes and was called “Hoshi” ―the Main Vocalist of the group.

“I know right?” another spoke up. He had a pale purple hair colour (which of course was the product of hair bleach and colouring) and vibrant brown eyes. He was just a head shorter than Hoshi and was the Main Dancer ―“Sai”.

“ _And ~_ ” the third said, dragging out the word far too much. He was “Kin”, their rapper. He had coloured blue hair and dull eyes. “Two groups called “Catal Rhythm” and “N.O.T.E” will be opening.”

“Oh.” The fourth said, unlocking his phone screen. “Who are they? Where’d they come from?” He was their leader ― “Eiji” who had curly black hair and mischievous grey eyes. There was an irritable tone to his voice, but his eyes said otherwise.

“Why would I know that?” Kin asked with an eye roll.

“Catal Rhythm débuted last year with a MV titled “Hello” which wasn’t too bad. But their first live was at Ai-Fest this year.” Sai replied. The other three looked at him questioningly.

“Dude, we were touring last year up until late January. How’d you know all this?”

“Because…” he started for dramatic effect, “…apparently, they caused quite a stir _and_ my Twitter kept blowing up with them and other groups.”

“Hmm? How so?” At this, Kin seemed interested. Meanwhile, Eiji had turned his back and went onto his phone. He plugged in his earphones, seeming to tune out the others in the room.

“One, they don’t show all of their faces. They wear cool laser-cut masks, designed by Kise Ruiko ― _may I add_ ―making it hard to see their eyes. And on one episode of _Idol Trend_ , in the Random Dance Section, they were supposed to dance to Starz’s “Shy Boy” and refused to do it.”

“Oh!” Kin said with a momentary look of surprise. “Feisty, much.”

“And what about the other one?” Hoshi asked.     

“N.O.T.E is from _Cinq_ and they débuted a year before Catal Rhythm. They’re pretty…” Sai trailed off with a worried look, “… _perfect._ ”

Eiji scoffed. “Anything from Cinq is like that. In front of the camera, they’re like perfect angels that descended from heaven but off it, they’re nothing but little demons that crawled up out of hell just to terrorize us all.” He rolled his eyes with utter disgust. “I mean, look at “Guardian”. I’m sure as hell you haven’t forgotten what they did to us.” The raven-haired young man seemed extremely pissed. When he caught the look of shock from everyone, he quickly changed the subject, “Catal Rhythm are from Aihara, right? Since you say they débuted at Ai-Fest.”

“Yeah.”

There was a sudden silence that made all four look at each other in horrific realization.

“Oh shit.”

_xxxx_

The bell sounded throughout the entire school, signalling the end of the school day. Most students quickly packed their bags and darted out of their classrooms, glad to be free until the next day. Takao, on the other hand, he slowly packed his things, seeming a bit absentminded. When he was done, he found himself sitting back in his chair and taking out his phone. He had taken pictures of their packages so that he wouldn’t need to walk around with the papers at school. While he was happy with the radio guesting this weekend, he had a bad feeling about the concert. Although he was glad that he’ll get to see “Yume” up close (yes, he was a Yume fanboy), when Kiyotaka told them that they’d be opening for the concert, followed by another group called “N.O.T.E” from Cinq, his spirit sank.

Takao knew he was _probably_ judging the boys too quickly, but any group from _Cinq Productions_ always brought trouble for everyone else. In a sense, they reminded him of Kirisaki Daiichi, anyone who performs with groups from Cinq are always left grumbling and miserable.

 _But,_ that could just be his paranoid self talking.

“Kazunari-kun what’s wrong?”

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a feminine voice. He looked up to see Aika, who tilted her head upon seeing how he looked.

“Ah Ai-chan…I’m fine, I suppose.” He replied.

She sighed and pulled up a chair beside him. “Seriously? What’s up?”

“Well…” he started, averting his eyes from her piercing gaze. “We’ll be performing in Kyoto a month from now.”

“And…?”

“I have a terribly bad feeling about it.” He sighed and shrunk in his seat. “N.O.T.E is from Cinq and I’m worried…”

“Oh…the _“Cinq Curse”_. It’s pretty infamous.” Aika nodded in understanding. “I can see why you’re having that feeling. I would be on my guard as well.”

“See!”

“However,” she continued, her tone not the least moved. “You may be paranoid. It could all be a really sad coincidence that everywhere groups from Cinq performs, something bad happens to another group there.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You can’t be too sure until it happens to you and you have evidence that they’re evil or something.”

Takao laughed. “That’s a pretty terrible coincidence though.”

“Really.” She nodded. “But, it wouldn’t kill you to be on your guard, okay?”

“Yeah, I know.” Takao sighed as he got up and stretched. “I was just surprised that Kiyotaka-san nor anyone for that matter believed in the “Cinq Curse”.”

“They’re adults.” Aika gave out. “Add to that, it never happened to any of Aihara’s idols, so…” she purposely trailed off as she knew Takao knew how the sentence would end.

“Really?” Takao asked.

“Yeah, because President Aihara can’t stand Cinq’s president so he makes sure to keep his idols far from the “madman” as Ai-Prez would call him.”

Takao blanched. “Then why are we…?”

Aika shrugged. “N.O.T.E could have been a late addition to the line-up _after_ you were added.” She said. “Think about it, Sato-san wouldn’t even think about getting you on that stage knowing full well that N.O.T.E or anyone from Cinq was going to be there.”

“Hmm…that makes sense.” He nodded in agreement. He then sighed in distress, “And _we_ had to end up in that trap, huh? How terrible is our luck?”

Aika laughed at Takao’s expression. “Don’t worry too much! Just go out there and do your best! I’ll be cheering you on!”

“Haa…” Takao grinned as both he and Aika stood up and motioned for the door. “Thanks Ai-chan!” he chirped as he slung an arm over her shoulder, the two walking down the hallway.

…

“You’re going to perform in Kyoto!?” a unified shriek echoed throughout the whole gym.

“Plus, performing at the same concert as “Yume”!? That’s good stuff! How’d you manage to pull that off?!” Izuki added, his grey eyes wide with surprise. At the moment, it was after school and the Seirin basketball club was taking a break from their intense training. The Light and Shadow duo decided that they could tell their supportive friends about their upcoming live.

Kuroko and Kagami answered, “We were told yesterday.”

Furihata then asked, “Who are “Yume” anyway? Are they _that_ good?”

“Apparently.” Kuroko replied in his usual deadpan. “Kise-kun and Takao-kun went into hysterics yesterday.”

Izuki, Koganei and Tsuchida let out shocked gasps at Kuroko’s lacklustre response. Although it’s a usual thing for the light-blue haired teen to lack expression, whenever something is serious, there was _always_ something in his voice. But as an idol, they were surprised that he didn’t know who Yume were.

“They are one of the top-ranked idol groups in the country!” Koganei said with too much enthusiasm. “How could you _not_ know them!?”

Kuroko stared at his Senpai with blank eyes like normal. “I’m not so bad.” He shrugged. “When it comes onto _anything_ in pop music, Kasamatsu-senpai is clueless.”

“Seriously?”

Kuroko nodded. “He’s a rock fan.”

“No…” they (except Kagami) gasped out. Images were running through their heads as to what Kasamatsu would look like at a rock concert and soon, everyone was bursting out laughing. They just couldn’t see it.

“On another topic, who’re “N.O.T.E”?” Hyuuga asked. “They’re performing after you guys, right?”

“Yeah.” Kagami answered. “I have no idea who N.O.T.E are, nor do I care.” He shrugged. “I’m prepared to go, perform and leave.” Kuroko nodded in agreement beside him.

“Well, rest assured, we’ll be there.” Hyuuga grinned. “And we’ll video for Kiyoshi to see as well.”

“Thanks Senpai.”

…

Over by Kaijou, Kise seemed a bit absentminded.

As he dribbled the ball across the court, he had a look of aimlessness and was constantly missing his passes and shots. Everyone around him wondered if the blond was silently ailing, but Kasamatsu knew better. He knew the blond wasn’t tired, and he wasn’t sick either but there was something terribly off about the small forward. Seeing his odd behaviour, Coach Takeuchi took him off the court, thinking that he may need a break or something.

So, now, Kise sat on the stage and stared at the players scampering about on the court. His mind travelled to their first radio guesting this weekend and to say that the blond was happy would be an understatement. Still, that wasn’t the reason for him to be zoning out. It was the live performance.

Sure, Kise wanted to perform all over Japan (and the world) on numerous stages, but this is one stage he didn’t want to be on. Like Takao, he may be judging the boys from N.O.T.E too quickly, but as the saying goes “the chip doesn’t fall too far from the block”.

N.O.T.E was from Cinq, and that is a reason in of itself for him to be so uneasy. He remembered when he tagged along with Ruiko to a concert because he didn’t get tickets and she was the designer for “Guardian”, one of the groups that were headlining. And being herself, Ruiko dressed all the young men (with Kise “claiming” to be assisting). But the shocking part was that “Yume”, who were also asked to perform by the organizers, didn’t even step foot on the stage _just because_ the assholes from Guardian felt _“upset”_ and _“dissatisfied”_ that Yume was going to perform _before_ them. So, being from a rich and powerful company such as Cinq, Yume were told that they weren’t going to be performing.

Of course, the boys were livid, seeing that they were already at the venue and were in their dressing room preparing to go out. A nasty fight nearly broke out, but luckily, the personnel and staff quelled it before it actually got physical.

But at that moment, Kise had never felt so pissed before in his life.

He accompanied his sister just so that he could see Yume perform and _that_ happened? He was tempted to use his Martial Arts on the Guardian boys that time, but Ruiko would have _killed_ him if he even moved a muscle.

It was later that day that he also found out about the so-called “Cinq Curse” which wasn’t a curse but sabotage. Ruiko told him all about the dark side of the idols from that company. One relief Kise got from it was that not all other idols were sabotaged by Cinq groups. Ruiko explained that it’ll be your awful bad luck to end up on their hate list.

“Maa, I guess I should focus on practice.” He mumbled as he got up and brushed off what little dust that was on his shorts. He realized that seething over this won’t make the situation better. But as soon as he was ready to head back in, he saw the players head off the court to take a break. “Mou~” he whined.

“Kise.” Kasamatsu called out to him as he walked over to him. “What’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing ―” he broke off as he saw the look Kasamatsu gave him. “―I was just thinking on the concert that’s all.”

“Hmm…” Kasamatsu said as he took a seat beside him. “…and what else?”

“Eh?”

“If you were thinking only about the concert, you wouldn’t be looking like you’re seriously mulling over something.” He looked up from his water bottle to the blond ace, “You’re an open book to me, you know?”

Kise sighed and gave up. Leave it to Leader-sama to be so damn perceptive. Plus, he lived with Kasamatsu so he wouldn’t be able to escape. “It’s just that N.O.T.E will be performing as well.”

“And…?”

“They’re from Cinq, Senpai. And the idols from that company have a tendency to sabotage others.” Kise had to explain for the captain, given how the older male was basically ignorant when it came onto anything related to “idols” and pop music.

Kasamatsu did a spit-take and promptly choked on his water while Kise pat his back in hopes of getting the water out. When Kasamatsu recovered all he could say was, “Seriously?!”

“Yes.” Kise drawled. “I saw it happen with my own two eyes and Onee-chan told me about the rest that she’s seen.”

“Damn.” The captain said as he raked a hand through his hair. He took two more mouthfuls of water before speaking, “So, you’re saying that you’re worried that we’ll be sabotaged, right?”

“Yeah.”

Kasamatsu sighed deeply for the umpteenth time. “But, there’s a chance that we won’t be. I mean, they’ve never met us and vice-versa. For what reason could they possibly want to ruin us?”

“Well…” Kise trailed off because he knew that Kasamatsu was right.

“Plus, we aren’t worth ruining because we don’t have a _huge_ fanbase. We just started.”

Kise blanched. “Senpai, did you just…?”

Kasamatsu laughed and ruffled the blond’s hair and said, “Isn’t it the truth?” before sauntering off to Moriyama and the others who were busying harassing Hayakawa.

_xxxx_

When basketball practice was over, Kise and Kasamatsu made their way to the Complex while the other three boys were picked up by Kenji. By the time the Kaijou boys made it to the Complex, they spotted the other débuted groups as well; however, they looked like they were run over by a truck.

A chuckle escaped their lips, as more than likely; it was due to them having to join a sports team. With the new school year meant that tournaments are coming up, which means intensive training. And as the weeks go by, it’s only going to get worse.

The captain and ace nearly laughed out loud at their misfortune.

The two made their way to the practice room and when settled, they only took off their blazers and shirts, staying in their uniform pants and a t-shirt. Luckily, they didn’t have any homework, so all the two did was listen to music until the others arrived.

“So Senpai, how’s it going with Reiko-nee?” Kise asked, his tone was serious, but his face had a playful look to it and poor Kasamatsu was wondering how the hell he was pulling that off.

“We’re friends and we text each other. What more do you want?” the captain replied.

Kise grinned. “I’m just here waiting on the day you’ll announce that you’re dating her.”

Kasamatsu laughed. He found that denying and countering the blond will probably sink him deeper. “You sure are adamant about this.”

“You’re made for each other.” Kise winked at him. “And hurry up before someone snatches her away.”

This time, Kasamatsu howled with laughter. “Someone will snatch her!? What?!” he hugged his stomach and doubled over. “With such a family like yours, who ―who will _snatch_ her away?!” he rolled onto his back and continued with his laughing fit. But unbeknownst to him, Kise was videoing his every smile.

“You’re right about that. But you may never know.” Kise shrugged when he was satisfied. “You know, your smiles are beautiful, Senpai.” He then mumbled. “Maybe I should send this to Reiko-nee.”

Kasamatsu stopped. “Kise, you’re creeping me out. Stop.”

“Mah, it’s the truth.” The ace nodded while fiddling with his phone. He was actually sending the video to his sister. “You should smile more often.” He then added, “Can you smile again so that I can get a picture?”

Kasamatsu inched away from Kise in fear. Seeing how his captain was seemingly avoiding him, Kise made a lunge for the older male, while screeching, “Senpai! It’s just one picture! Come on!”

“Stay back!” Kasamatsu added his own screech. “Stay the hell away from me!”

At this moment, the others had finally arrived but what they stumbled upon left them confused. Kise was motioning towards Kasamatsu, who was standing atop the table with a mop stick, trying his best to repel the blond. Usually, the captain would kick the blond into oblivion, so this was totally shocking.

“Uh, Yu-chan, Ryou-chan,” Takao started. “What’s happening?”

“Kise is a creep!”

“I’m not!” the blond countered. “I just told Senpai to smile more often and I wanted to take a picture of his smiles and he’s backing from me like I’m a disease!”

The other three looked at each other.

“Well, a male hounding another male _just_ for his smiles _is_ considered a bit creepy.” Kagami said in-a-matter-of-factly. “Hell, anyone hounding another person for their smiles is creepy.”

“Whose side are you on Kagamicchi!?” Kise whined, almost throwing his phone at the redhead to shut him up.

“Logic.” He deadpanned.

“You…” Kise snarled. “And ―”

“Boys~!” Came a sing-song voice from the door. “Are you ready~!?”

Immediately, the five froze and stared at the grinning light-blue haired man standing in the door jam. “Let’s get down to business, ne?”

“Hai…” they groaned out.

_xxxx_

“Man, I’m _so exhausted_.” Amari said as he leaned on Hirose for support, nearly causing the two to tumble over.

“Joining a sports team will be the death of me.” Another member said. He was Yukari, a vocalist of their group. He was as tall as Nakajima but had curly black hair and bright eyes.

“I don’t think I can survive any longer.” Another sighed. As they walked down the hallway, they heard the booming vibrations of music.

“Who’re practicing still?” Amari asked as he walked towards the little window. When he peered through and saw Catal Rhythm going through their routine, he let out a gasp. “How are they still moving?!”

Nakajima pushed him away from the window to see inside and he too, was left in shock.

“I can’t even walk properly and yet…” Hirose groaned out. “Now I believe Mars-san, they really have superpowers or something.”

The seven boys ended up cracking open the door a little to see better inside and watched the five boys danced to the best of their abilities. Hikaru stood in front of them with focused eyes, ensuring that they were matching the beat with their movements, and dancing in-sync.

D:FI were appalled at their energy, and couldn’t do anything but gape. Soon, the music stopped and the five collapsed onto the floor, panting for air.

“Their routine is amazing.” Hirose breathed out. “Isn’t that going to be awful to perform live? They look like they’re dying!”

“I know right?” Amari agreed. “But they do have Kuroko-san as their choreographer. If even Diverse is brought to tears by that man, I don’t see why they won’t die after a session.”

Just then, the door swung open and all seven tumbled to the floor before Catal Rhythm. There was a momentary silence before the five boys only briefly greeted them and dashed out, bolting down the hall with their school bags slung across their shoulders.

“Boys! No running in the hallway! Walk!” Hikaru barked after them, but his words fell on deaf ears. Their figures disappeared down the hall and the older Kuroko could only heave a sigh. “Teenagers.”

“Uh, Kuroko-san, what’s going on?” Amari asked as the group got up onto their feet.

“Oh. Amari-kun,” Hikaru greeted, he totally didn’t see them sprawled out on the floor earlier. “Apparently, Kenji phoned and told them that he’ll treat them to dinner.”

“Why can’t Yamacchan treat us to dinner too?” Nakajima grumbled.

Hikaru chuckled, “Kenji just feels sorry for them and thinks that they deserve to be treated.”

“Man, I’d be excited too.” Hirose smiled and rubbed his tummy. “Now I’m getting hungry.” He mumbled. “I wonder if I can tag along.”

Hikaru laughed. “Oh hell no. Kise-kun and Kagami-kun can eat for the entire world; Kenji-kun will surely chase you away.”

“Seriously?”

Hikaru nodded. “Those boys are monsters in more ways than one.”

_xxxx_

“Hoo!” Takao said as he collapsed into the sofa. “I’m beat!”

“Aren’t we all?” Kagami droned lazily as he took off his blazer jacket. Since Kenji had treated them to dinner, the boys had just arrived back home.  

“Haa…” Kise sighed, throwing his head back and looking up at the ceiling. “…Kenji should treat us more often.”

“I know right?” Takao agreed. “I could eat like that on a daily basis.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Kuroko sighed. “Kenji-san will want us to follow the diet he gave us. Which of course, we’re not following.”

The four paused and exchanged glances. “He gave us a diet?!”

“Yes. It was posted on the fridge.”

“Oh, that.” Kagami said, “I thought it was just some scribbling and threw it out.”

Kasamatsu shrugged. “What Kenji-san doesn’t know won’t hurt us. All we have to do is keep him out of our kitchen and we’re safe.”

“Well, enough of that,” Takao perked with a grin. “Yu-chan, it’s time you start our next guitar lesson!”

“Oh, right.” Kasamatsu nodded. “Remind me to tell Dad to drop off the guitars tomorrow.”

“I will!”

Kise groaned out. “I need a drum set too.” His face then took on a look of horror which stunned the others present. “Shit! I forgot that Makicchi gave me some drum notations to transcribe! He’s going to kill me if I don’t do it!” With that, the blond sprang up and bolted towards their bedroom.

Kuroko nodded to himself and messaged his father. He shared the same sentiment as Kise, realizing that he’ll need a keyboard to practice with.

Focusing back to the issue at hand, Kasamatsu turned to Takao and Kagami and said, “Let’s begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	24. First Radio Guesting

 

For the rest of the week, apart from basketball practice and rehearsals for the upcoming concert, Catal Rhythm focused on learning their instruments. It wasn’t that much of a pressure given that they were only to perform three songs ―two of which were already committed to muscle memory. The third song was their new single that was going to be released sometime _after_ they shot the video _this weekend._

So, after school, the boys would go their separate ways ―Kise headed to Makio at the “Euphoria”, Kuroko headed to Akamine at the Complex while Takao and Kagami stayed at home with Kasamatsu. Mitsurou had already delivered the guitars to his son and was somewhat surprised that they decided to go on this new venture. But deep down (and knowing _what_ his son was like), Mitsurou had a feeling that being a band would definitely suit them better.

With the arrival of the guitars ― _Kagami got the Bass and Acoustic Bass guitars while Takao got the Rhythm and Acoustic guitars_ _―_ the boys were able to start practicing what they were learning in theory although they were only able to practice on the acoustic instruments since they didn’t have any amplifiers.

But, for everyone, their instrumental practice went fairly smoothly, given that they were all learning from people who knew their personalities and had a flexible lesson time. Still, out of everyone, Kise was the one who was “mastering” (the lack of a better word) his instrument at a faster pace being that he was already familiar with the drums and had been learning from Makio when he was far younger.

And as such, the days ran off quickly and before they knew it, it was the weekend ― _which meant_ ―the day of their first radio guesting arrived.

_xxxx_

“Alright boys,” Kenji began as he drove into the parking lot of the _NHK Yokohama Broadcasting Station._ “Don’t be nervous, okay?”

“Ha…” Kasamatsu sighed. “Isn’t it a bit too late for that?”

“Look on the bright side; at least you aren’t on camera.” Kenji smiled.

“True.” the five boys voiced out in reason. But even though no one but the host will see their faces, neither have done this before (not even Kise) so it was still a little nerve wracking because they knew ― _they just knew_ ―that they might _forget_ their filters and behave like their awful little selves.

When Kenji parked, they exited from the car with a bounce in their steps, well; Kagami looked like he’d just tasted some of Riko’s awful cooking. This was a normal thing _anyway,_ as he and Kasamatsu were usually the most nervous of them all. And as usual, the captain did breathing exercises to calm his nerves, Kise and Takao always teasing him that he was behaving like he was in labour.

Of course, he kicked their asses for it.

As they walked to the studio, they were greeted by staff members and other personnel and were led to the studio by a worker who wore a simple jeans and a dress-shirt.

Upon reaching the studio, they noticed that inside of the room felt a bit homily and comfortable. There was a male sitting in a chair at the top of the table, fiddling with his headphones and other equipment. When he looked up, he saw the five boys and the guide who led them there and grinned,

“Welcome, welcome!” he beamed. “I’m the host, Juuzou.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” They chorused. Juuzou then indicated to them that they could sit as they were standing in the doorway still. And as such, on Juuzou’s left were Kasamatsu, Kuroko and Kagami while on the right was Takao and Kise.

Juuzou nodded. “Okay, I just want to get this right,” he started. “The blond is _Sunn-san,_ Redhead-san is _Taiga-san,_ spiked black hair is _Yuki-san_ while the other is _Taka-san,_ right?”

“Hai.” They nodded, but noticed that he left out Kuroko.

“But where is Sora-san? He’s not coming?”

“I’m here.” Kuroko deadpanned.

Juuzou let out a high-pitched shriek and fell backwards off his chair. The other four boys erupted with laughter as no matter how many times they’ve seen him do it; Kuroko scaring people _never_ gets old.

“Wh-wh-where…?”

“He’s been here the whole time.” the four boys howled with laughter. Kuroko simply nodded his response.

“What? So how come I never noticed you?”

“I have an extremely low presence.” Kuroko answered.

“Except on the stage, though.” Takao added.

“Oh. Oh.” Juuzou nodded as he sat. “Jesus Christ, I thought he was a ghost, you know?”

“I get that often.” Kuroko said.

“Alrighty,” the host absentmindedly said as he scribbled on his paper. But what they didn’t know was that the older male was drawing arrows to point at each other, so that he could remember who was who. After he was done with that, he got them to wear their microphones and positioned their mics properly in front of them.

“It might sound funny hearing your own voice, but you need to keep the headphones on, okay?”

They nodded.

“I’ll do a volume test now so tell me whether or not your headphones are too loud or too low. You’ll need to speak into the mic.”

They nodded once again.

One by one they spoke into the microphones, Juuzou adjusting the volumes for Kuroko and Takao while with Kasamatsu; he had to turn the mic fader down since there were a couple distortions with the leader’s. But, they never knew that all this was needed to be done before they went live. Inwardly, they realized that they learned something new every day while in this field of work.

And after everything was ready and set, Juuzou prepped them saying, “We’ll be going live in one minute. So get ready.”

“Hai!”

_xxxx_

“Oda-san, turn the radio on!” A teenager screeched as he flew into the van. “I wanna listen to _ZYP!”_ He had short black hair and grey eyes, and was somewhat baby-faced.

“Oh shut up, Takuma.” the other hissed in annoyance. He followed Takuma to sit at the back of their van. He was taller than Takuma and looked older as well. His brown hair was straightened, his sidebangs framing his face perfectly. His name was Nobuhiro and went by “Nobu” on stage.

“Don’t tell me to shut up, asshole.” Takuma snapped as he shifted in his seat so that Nobuhiro could get enough space.

“You little shit.” Nobuhiro hissed but continued to read his manga.

“Now, now, don’t start with your bitching.” Another joined in with a snarl. He was black-haired like Takuma but he had red highlights in his hair. His eyes were dark as well, typical for a Japanese. He was Osamu but the others teased him by giving him the nickname “Osu” but his stage name is “Sam”. “We all know that Taku likes to listen in so deal the fuck with it.”

“Oo…” the last boy whispered. He was the shortest of the four, with coloured green hair and brown eyes. He was Enya but on stage he goes by the name “En”. “Someone’s crabby today.”

Osamu snorted, “You all know why I’m in a bad mood.”

“Calm down,” Takuma fanned. “So what if that group from Aihara is performing before us? They’ll just be appetizers. They’ll rile the crowd up for us. That’s it.”

“I can’t stand them.” Osamu spat. “I mean, how dare they? Some group that crawled up out of the fucking mud managed to get their song in a higher ranking than ours? Don’t joke with me.”

Oda-san, their manager sighed around the steering wheel. He was sorry the day he’d step foot in Cinq Productions, but since there hasn’t been any job vacancies elsewhere he has to stay put and suffer with these idols. So, trying to ignore their conversation, he turned up the radio almost to the max and tuned it to the station that Takuma wanted.

 _“Yo, everyone! What’s up? It’s your boy Juuzou!”_ the host’s voice rang out with a cheerful tone. _“But before I start, I must say, today is a great day.”_ He started. _“You know why?! It’s because I have special guests in studio with me ―Catal Rhythm!”_

Oda-san had to slam on the brakes so as to not crash.

His boys behind him weren’t in the least perturbed by his sudden brake, but the announcement coming from the radio. He knew that his boys didn’t like the boys from Aihara and to hear them on the radio, on Takuma’s favourite program was like adding fuel to an already blazing fire.

“Aren’t they…?” but Takuma didn’t finish his sentence as they started to introduce themselves individually.

 _“Hello, I’m Catal Rhythm’s leader and lead vocalist_ _―_ _Yuki.”_ Kasamatsu started.

 _“Geez Senpai, couldn’t you add a little flare to your intro?”_ Kise asked teasingly. _“So bland.”_

 _“Shut up.”_  Kasamatsu said, the listeners oblivious that the captain was twitching with annoyance.

 _“And ignoring those two, I’m Taka_ _―_ _lead rapper and vocalist! Pleased to meet you!”_

_“I’m Taiga, main rapper.”_

_“Nice to meet you all, I’m Sora, main dancer and vocalist.”_

_“I’m Sunn!”_ Kise chirped. _“Main vocalist!”_

“Well, aren’t they perky?” Nobuhiro spat with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.

 _“Unlike the other début groups who all have had web-dramas or have been in the media before they hit the stage, you guys were still unknown trainees then. So tell me, what was performing at the Ai-Fest like? Was it nerve-wracking? Scary? I mean, given how_ packed _the theatre gets during that time…”_

It was Takao who took this question. _“Actually, it wasn’t that nerve-wracking because we had already conditioned our minds that we’re going to do our best. And our manager gave us some motivation before he left.”_

Kise snorted. _“It was more like us showing D:FI how we slay.”_

 _“Hmm? What’s this?”_ Juuzou seemed interested here. People liked to hear a good beef story these days and Juuzou felt like entertaining the drama queens out there.  

 _“Ah, it’s just that we have a pretty good relationship with Kyouya and Ari. So, you know…”_ Kasamatsu jumped in for some damage control while glaring at Kise. He was really glad that their friendship with Hirose and Amari came in useful today. _“…we have this competitive thing going on.”_

 _“Oh. Must be nice to have friendly rivalries.”_ Juuzou nodded.

 _“It is.”_ But here, the boys weren’t referring to having a rivalry in the idol industry, but on the court in basketball.

 _“You all seem pretty close to me. What was your first impression of each other when you first met?”_ the host then asked to change the subject. _“You weren’t_ always _this close, right?”_

Laughter rang out in the room as Kise and Takao caught the look on Kagami’s face, while Kuroko gave him the stink eye.

 _“Hmm, I met Soracchi in middle school and honestly, I thought he was useless.”_ Kise started. _“We met in club, and he was assigned to me as my instructor, so I thought, he was must pretty good because we had the best team in the tournament.”_ He then chuckled, _“But lo and behold, as the days went by, I was wondering, is he for real?! He couldn’t do anything. Hence, my view on him as useless.”_

 _“Seriously?!”_ Juuzou gasped out. _“You viewed him as useless?”_

_“I’m very serious.”_

_“And he was pretty obvious with it too.”_ Kuroko added. _“He didn’t even try to be discreet.”_

 _“Soracchi!”_ Kise whined. _“I did! You were just too perceptive!”_

 _“Please.”_ Kuroko’s eye roll could be heard by many.

_“And the rest of you?”_

_“Like Ki_ _―_ _Sunn,”_ Kagami started, almost revealing Kise’s identity. _“I thought he was useless too. I mean, he was pretty flimsy and didn’t smell like anyone strong on the court.”_

There was silence in the studio for couple seconds. The boys looked at each other with disgust, wondering what Kagami was going on about.

 Wanting to find out, Kise asked, _“What? Smell?”_ There was a sound like a chair grating on the floor, which many could attribute to Kise shifting in his seat. _“Soracchi, this is news to me. What’s he talking about smelling you?”_

 _“Oi! You’re twisting my words!”_ Kagami defended.

 _“How am I twisting your words? Isn’t smell, smell? It’s not a homophone, now is it?”_ Kise asked with a raised brow.

_“It’s similar to having aura, you know? Imposing people have an aura about them, but for me, I use my nose, because…”_

Takao, Kise and Juuzou howled with laughter, Kasamatsu doubled his lips to prevent himself from behaving like the other three.

_“What?”_

_“So, Taiga-kun, for whatever your reason may be, you_ smell _people?”_ Juuzou asked with a confused look on his face. _“Isn’t that a bit…odd?”_

_“I don’t go around smelling everyone I pass! It’s only for when I’m searching for…you know…”_

Kasamatsu couldn’t hold it in any longer. _“Searching? What are you? An Alpha or something?!”_ He laughed.

_“Then that would mean Soracchi is a…”_

_“Beta! No scent!”_ the two ―Kise and Takao guffawed as they gave each other high-fives.

Takuma laughed at this conversation. Nobuhiro had long put down his manga and was listening in. Even Enya and Osamu were somewhat interested.

The poor host, Juuzou, couldn’t take this. He doubled over with laughter as the boys were too much.

 _“Let’s...let’s…”_ Juuzou struggled to start his sentence. _“...get back on track, ne?”_

_“Hai~!”_

Juuzou cleared his throat, hoping that would somehow quell his laughter.

 _“It seemed like you had it rough, Sora-kun._ ” Juuzou started up again. This was a follow up question and not one that was planned.

 _“Yes.”_ Kuroko nodded. _“But it’s not like their first impression was any better.”_

 _“Uh oh.”_ Kasamatsu unwittingly said. He, like the rest of them, knew how dangerous Kuroko’s bluntness was.  

_“How so?”_

_“Well, Taiga-kun is an animal, through and through. Sunn-kun seemed like an idiot and Taka-kun was creepy.”_

Kasamatsu exhaled a sigh of relief while the others flew up.

 _“I’m an animal!? You little…”_ Kagami trailed off, holding his tongue.

 _“Soracchi! How could you?!”_ Kise whined.

 _“Creepy? I’m not creepy!”_ Takao defended.

 _“You couldn’t keep your eyes off me. Which was creepy in my view.”_ Kuroko deadpanned.

_“Aww, come on! We were in a match and you were my marker! Obviously I couldn’t take my eyes off you!”_

_“Guys, calm down. We can argue about this when we’re home.”_ Kasamatsu quickly said, hoping that they got what he intended.

_“Sorry.”_

Juuzou sighed loudly. _“I’m the interviewer here, boys. Don’t forget.”_

They nodded.

_“Right. So seeing how quirky you lot are, tell me about your band’s name. “Catal Rhythm” is quite the unusual name. Why did the President give that name to you?”_

Kise took this question and he was brimming with confidence. _“Well, the President isn’t the one who named our group. We did.”_

 _“Oh! Interesting!”_ Juuzou perked. Really, he was surprised as idol groups and stage names are usually done by the President of the company. So to hear that these boys named themselves is an anomaly.

 _“Rhythm” in our name suggests how well we dance to our songs’ beat and rhythm. “Catal” on the other hand…”_ he trailed off for dramatic effect, leaving the others wondering what he’d answer.

 _“Catal is the abbreviation of Catalyst.”_ Kise continued. _“And as we all know, a catalyst is something that “causes an important event to happen”. We’re going to be that dramatic change that will shake the idol world.”_

A moment of silence passed before Kagami spoke, _“Wow, I never knew you were capable of such deep thinking.”_

 _“Don’t compare me to yourself,_ Taigacchi. _”_ Kise said with an eye roll.

 _“You wanna go pretty boy?!”_ The redhead snarled.

Takao then looked to Juuzou, _“Don’t mind them, they’re always arguing like a dog and cat anyway.”_

_“You five sound like stress.”_

Everyone stopped and laughed at his comment. But, for a fact, Juuzou was prepped by Kenji and the dream team of their “filter-less moments” and told him to be on guard.

_“So, back to business, do you have any celebrity crushes?”_

_“Hina-chan from Triple Threat!”_ Kise shrieked with too much vigour. _“She’s bae.”_

 _“No way, Sayo-chan is_ far _better.”_ Takao huffed while folding his arms. _“She’s wife material.”_

 _“You wanna die, don’t you?”_ Kise started to crack his knuckles. _“Hina-chan is the_ best. _”_

 _“Huh?! I think it’s going to be the other way around.”_ Takao hissed. _“Sayo-chan is a goddess.”_

 _“Oi! Oi!”_ Juuzou said, frantically. _“You aren’t going to be arguing over girls, now are you?”_

Before the two could reply, Kasamatsu came in and said in a very serious tone, _“Of course they’re not.”_ He then looked to the two boys, _“Right?”_

 _“Of course. We know better.”_ The two said quickly, knowing full well how bad it would be for them if the captain’s temper came out.

 _“My, my, you all have too much energy.”_ Juuzou sighed, raking a hand through his black hair. _“What are you being fed?”_

 _“Healthy foods.”_ Takao quickly said.

_“Hmm, so what’s your diet like?”_

The boys started sweating bullets. They knew Kenji was listening in, so if they don’t answer this question properly, he’ll kill them.

 _“Senpai, I think this is a question for you.”_ Kise said quickly.

_“What?! No! Taiga, you take this. You’re the one who cooks for us anyway.”_

_“Eh?”_ Kagami froze and started to panic. _“But I don’t cook all the time. Sunn does it when I’m too tired.”_

But throughout this back and forth, Juuzou could deduce that something was wrong. And judging by their reactions, he had a feeling that they weren’t following their diet.

_“Boys, is there something you don’t want your manager to find out?”_

_“What? No…”_ The five gave out.

 _“It’s just that we have really high metabolisms and as such, we tend to eat a little bit more than the regular idols.”_ Kuroko swiftly said to save their hides. _“We’ve got nothing to hide.”_ He lied. In fact, Kenji couldn’t see what lies in their fridge because he’d either faint or slaughter them or both.

 _“Heeh? Those expressions say otherwise though.”_ Juuzou grinned.

And so the interview continued in a very lively manner, both Juuzou and his listeners enjoying every moment of it. It was supposed to be a typical idol interview, but with these boys’ personalities, the host found himself asking follow-up questions instead of what he intended on his script, Kise and Kagami’s arguments were abundant, Kasamatsu had to be calming them down with his glares and threats, Kuroko sometimes set-off Kagami with his blunt replies, Takao was just a ball of energy with Kise.

There was one instance where Juuzou had asked, _“Are you single?”_ for mischief making purposes, since the entire world knows that Aihara doesn’t ban their idols from dating.

 _“We’re all still single.”_ Kagami responded.

 _“Why?!”_ Juuzou asked, sounding disappointed. _“I mean, you wear masks or dark shades so no one knows who you are, plus your real names are withheld! For all I know, you guys could even have a harem without paparazzi ever finding out!”_

 _“Well, for me, I love basketball. So if I were to have a girlfriend, we probably wouldn’t last because she’d think I love the sport more than her.”_ Kagami shrugged.

Kuroko joined in, _“As I told you earlier, I have an extremely low presence normally. So even if I express my feelings, she’ll think I’m a ghost and run from me.”_

 _“I model as well so I have a lot of fans. So, I’m unable to tell who’ll love me for who I am and not for my status and money.”_ Kise sighed.

 _“I confessed to a girl on the school roof and she shot me down so hard I could hear my heart shattering.”_ Takao sniffed.

 _“I’m shy.”_ Kasamatsu said.

Juuzou looked extremely heartbroken. Hearing the responses of the boys was not only funny, but it was pretty sad.

 _“You poor things.”_ He gave out in pity.

 _“But Senpai, aren’t you in the process of getting a girlfriend?”_ Kise blurted out, wiggling his eyebrows up and down so fast that Kasamatsu thought that if he continued, they’d seriously jump off his face.

 _“Wha ―wha―what?!”_ Kasamatsu spluttered in shock.

 _“That’s right, Yuki-senpai.”_ Kuroko joined in, with a small mischievous smile on his face.

Juuzou was grinning from ear to ear at their interaction. So, he let them be. After all, many listeners were probably drooling in delight from this information. 

 _“What’s gotten into you all!?”_ Kasamatsu shrieked, his face beet-red from the embarrassment.

 _“But we’re not the ones who are texting and calling her every day, now are we?”_ Takao added his bits, effectively sending the captain to his grave.

Kasamatsu gasped. _“You! What about you!? Aren’t you the one who’s in the same class as your prospective girlfriend?! What do you have to say for yourself?!”_

 _“Hmm?? That’s indeed, right.”_ Kise grinned, leaning forwards on the table. _“You see her every day and I think you say that she has the same classes as you, right? And don’t you walk her home too?”_ Kise grinned. _“You ―Takacchi―have no means of escape.”_

Takao shrieked, _“Don’t bring Ai-chan into this!”_ he defended. _“She’s a really good friend of mine.”_

Juuzou decided to intervene here. With a lively screech, he said, _“Heeh! Her name is “Ai”?”_ he then howled with laughter. _“What a revelation! Shutoku is going to be in an uproar come Monday!”_

 _“Juuzou-san, you have no idea! When you see them interacting, sparks fly!”_ Kise teased. _“Some seriously blinding sparks!”_

 _“No! No!”_ Takao denied quickly, hoping to save himself from Kise. _“You traitor!”_ Kise only batted his eye lashes and smiled oh-so innocently. Takao rolled his eyes at the blond before addressing Juuzou. _“Her name isn’t “Ai”. I just call her that.”_ He waved his hand in dismissal. _“I couldn’t live with myself knowing that she got mauled because of me.”_

 _“Aww…so she’s special to you, huh?”_ Juuzou asked, once again, only for mischief purposes.

 _“Yeah, she is.”_ Takao nodded with a solemn smile.

 _“Look at that face, folks!”_ Juuzou said in a deepened voice for emphasis as noise erupted in the studio as the other four was glad to hear this response. It was some sort of confirmation for them, as whenever they saw Takao and Aika interact, like Kise said, it was almost as though sparks are flying.

 _“Guys, stap!”_ Takao whined, but it was futile.

 _“I swear, you boys are meme-worthy.”_ Juuzou laughed. But after a minute or so later, his laughter died down as he asked, _“So aren’t you afraid of what fans may think?”_

 _“Think what?”_ Kagami asked.

_“That, you know, you’re idols and are “falling in love” so to speak.”_

_“Uh, well, we’re human beings first so I think it’s a natural process.”_ Kagami replied. _“I mean, which normal and healthy high school student doesn’t have a crush or whatever at some point in their high school lives?”_ But sensing the oncoming danger, he quickly said, _“Although not everyone will experience that.”_ Kagami had a feeling that either Kise or Takao (or both ―the bastards) would have questioned whether or not _he_ had a crush. And really, he wouldn’t want to be put under their radar (not that he had any crushes either way).

 _“That’s true. That’s true.”_ Juuzou nodded.

_“So, last year November, you débuted with a MV titled “Hello” and a mini-album with five tracks. They’ve been doing great, so tell me, what’s next for Catal Rhythm.”_

Takao pretended to clear his throat to answer. _“Well, we have a new single coming out~!”_ he said in a sing-song voice. _“We’ve finished recording, and after this we’ll be shooting the music video!”_

 _“I’m so excited!”_ Kise added.

 _“Oh? Care to share a little piece of this single for my listeners?”_ Juuzou asked playfully.

_“Sure~!”_

Suddenly, the sound of drum beat was heard, and listening keenly to it, Oda-san and his boys (and by extension the millions of listeners) could tell that it was one of them creating a beat in the studio on the table top with his hands. Of course, this was Kise, putting his drumming skills to good use.

_“Even if I try to avoid you, I can’t find a place to hide._

_I can’t even deny you.”_

Kasamatsu was the one who started off the song, and he followed Kise’s beat perfectly, since the blond was basically using the same drum beat from the song.

_“I’m trapped by you.”_

Kuroko came in quickly with a single line before Kise’s explosive voice sounded, seeming to build up to something amazing.

_“If I was love, if you really loved me,_

_Don’t do this to me,_

_Her whisper is the Lucifer.”_

But they didn’t go onto the chorus, instead they stopped here, after all, this was _just_ a sample.

 _“Nice. It sounds extremely catchy.”_ Juuzou nodded.

 _“It is.”_ The five gave out.

 _“Well folks! That was Catal Rhythm!”_ Juuzou then announced. _“Thank you for coming boys; it was a pleasure meeting you today!”_

The five boys laughed. _“Thank you for having us!”_

_“Okay everyone! You can catch these five energetic boys at MusicStock in Kyoto on May 12! Make sure to be there!”_

But throughout the interview, Oda-san was fretting about the boys from Aihara. While, in his opinion, Catal Rhythm were a lively bunch, and he liked their behaviour in this interview. It didn’t seem rehearsed, although, he could tell that many of the questions ended up being follow-ups due to their answers on previous questions. But still, Oda-san could feel that their reactions and behaviours were genuine, and not in the least pretentious and fake (well, it could be that because he’s working with Cinq, he knows how to spot a fake idol group from a mile away).

It was a very _different_ interview, especially the part when they were talking on whether they were single or not. Idols tend to shy away from this, trying to keep up the whole “pure” and “innocent” image. But Catal Rhythm, they were ruthless with each other and it seemed as though they didn’t care.

However, he glanced upwards briefly to see the faces of his boys and blanched.

Nobuhiro looked extremely peeved.

Osamu was in a worst mood than before.

Takuma seemed to be sulking.

Enya looked irritated.

Oda-san knew what was coming. He silently prayed for Catal Rhythm’s well-being, but then again, he’d have to visit a shrine for extra reinforcement. He knows his boys are merciless when they set their minds out to ruin someone.

“Oda-san,” Enya’s soft voice called out to him.

“Ye-Yes?” he unknowingly stuttered since he _knew_ what was coming next.

“We hate them.” They said in unison.

_Ah. There we go._

_xxxx_

“I had so much fun!” Takao chirped as he hopped into the car with Kise following behind him.

“Me too!” Kise perked with a squeal. “Juuzou-san was so lively!”

Kenji sighed. “You were the lively ones if you asked me.”

“Never again am I answering a relationship question with these two around.” Kasamatsu said with an eye roll. He had entered after Kise and sat in the seat in front of Takao with Kagami coming in beside him.

“Why not?” Kise asked with a whine.

“You very well know!” Kasamatsu snapped.

“But Kasamatsu-senpai, you already got your revenge with Takao-kun, so what’s the big deal?” Kuroko joined in as he sat in front of Kagami.

“You know what the big deal is.”

Kenji started to tune them out after that. While prior to them actually going to the guesting, they were given the questions that Juuzou would have asked and prepared answers, but oh no, they decided to be themselves and this caused the host to ask _a lot_ of follow-up questions, which in his view, weren’t so bad; it just showed up Catal Rhythm for who they _really_ are. Kagami and Kise had lots of rage moments with each other, Takao laughed the others to scorn sometimes, Kuroko was his usual blunt self, and Kasamatsu…he was actually the only normal and sane (well as sane as he could get with the others around him) one there. Although he had gotten a bit flustered and out of character when Juuzou asked if they were single and Takao and Kise brought up that he was “in the process of getting a girlfriend”...

Kenji swore he could feel Kasamatsu’s embarrassment seeping through the radio but more so, his bloodlust to murder the two boys. It was entertaining no lie, but he wondered how people will react to them being so open. But, he took his mind off that as he drove to _Image One_ for his boys to start shooting the music video for _“Lucifer”._   

“The following weeks are going to be quite interesting.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	25. MusicStock Concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used:  
>  **First Song:** "Hide and Seek" by ASTRO.  
>  **For full dance:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b177-ni319g &gl=JM
> 
>  **Second Song:** "Lucifer" by SHINee  
>  **For full dance:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovztfpWPo5M  
>  **For (Korean) Music Video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8
> 
>  **Third Song:** "Hello" by SHINee
> 
> Kagami — (Hide and Seek) the one in the white shirt with blond hair (JinJin)  
> (Lucifer) the one in the black cap (Dance Practice), the one with the short black hair (MV) (Minho)
> 
> Kuroko — (Hide and Seek) the one in the orange hoodie (Sanha).  
> (Lucifer) the one with the long hair in the red and black (MV), the one in the black and white stripe shirt (Dance Practice) (Taemin)
> 
> Kise — (Hide and Seek) two people: the one in the pizza shirt (MJ) AND the one in the blue hoodie (Eunwoo).  
> (Lucifer) the one in the black merina (Dance Practice), the one in the gold fronted sleeveless shirt (MV). (Jonghyun)
> 
> Takao — (Hide and Seek) the one with in the white shirt with black sleeves and black cap (Rocky)  
> (Lucifer) the one in the black t-shirt (Dance Practice), the one with half of his head shaved (MV). (Key)
> 
> Kasamatsu — (Hide and Seek) the one in the blue shirt with black sleeves and black cap (Moonbin)  
> (Lucifer) the one in the white shirt with white cap (Dance Practice), the one in the open white jacket and grey fur on the back (MV). (Onew)
> 
>  
> 
>  **Important Note:** We strongly advise you to watch the videos posted here as we think our descriptions aren’t that clear. We know nothing about dancing, so we try to write what we see. We may have over-described some parts or under-described some parts ―we don’t know, but we think we didn’t do it clear enough, so please watch.
> 
> Also, for the SHINee songs there are Japanese versions to them, but we use the Korean version because that’s what we’re used to and frankly, it sounds better (to us at least). So if you want to hear what the Japanese sound like, then go on ahead, but the videos we use are the Korean version. Just to let you know.

 

 

 

 

The weekend ran off quickly, much to Catal Rhythm’s pleasure. Shooting the music video spilled over into Sunday, given that they had the radio guesting to do first. It was fun, given that they got to laugh at each other yet again, Kasamatsu and Kagami’s faces were (as usual) priceless.

But with the new school week came new troubles, both Kaijou and Shutoku getting into an uproar. In Kaijou’s case, the moment Kise set foot through the gates, a horde of fangirls attacked him (and because Kasamatsu was right beside him, he got caught up in it as well), screaming about having evidence that he’s _Sunn_ of _Catal Rhythm._

“Girls, how many times must I say that until ―” he was unable to continue since a girl cut him off.

“Kise-kun, how many models are there in Kaijou with _blond hair?”_

“Huh?”

Catching on quickly, Kasamatsu grabbed Kise’s wrists and said to the girls as he made his way through the crowd, “I think you all are overreacting a little bit too much. Haven’t you thought that this is the very reason why Sunn withheld his identity?”

“Wha ―”

“ _Think_ about it. If everyday boys were attacking you like this, would you want the entire school to know that you were an idol?”

That seemed to quell the girls as they all stopped and mumbled incoherencies while the boys escaped. Kise heaved a sigh of relief, but he knew that he was far from safe. Kasamatsu on the other hand, wondered how he could have allowed Kise to make such a slip on Saturday. He should’ve kicked him under the table to stop him.

_xxxx_

Hattori Aika never knew what hell awaited her Monday morning.

She doesn’t listen to radio broadcastings, so she was absolutely clueless about Catal Rhythm’s interview. Well, Takao _did_ tell her that they were going to be on the radio, but she wasn’t the type to listen in. The moment she stepped through Shutoku’s gates, a horde of girls surrounded her ―girls she never knew existed, girls she hated, and girls she saw but didn’t care about.

“Hattori! You do dancesport for Aihara company, don’t you?!” one shrieked in her face.

Aika remained unfazed. “Get out of my face and lower your voice before you ask me anything.”

The girl drew back. She never expected this sort of reaction from Aika, not because they were total strangers, but because Aika didn’t seem like someone that had so much sass. The Latin dancer stood with folded arms and tapped her foot impatiently on the ground like a mother awaiting her child’s explanation for doing something wrong.

“I have my class to get to. What is it that you want?” Aika asked again, this time in a more dominating voice.

“Are you Taka’s “prospective” girlfriend?” another asked.

The dancer raised an eyebrow in question. This was all news to her. Of course she knew who “Taka” was, but the last part about “prospective girlfriend” was a stunner. “What?”

“Didn’t you listen to _ZYP.fm_ on Saturday?!” yet another girl shrieked.

“No I didn’t.” Aika deadpanned. “As a matter of fact, I don’t listen to radio. If I’m nearby and someone’s playing theirs aloud, then sure. But not off my own.”

“So, you _aren’t_ Taka’s girlfriend?”

Aika had had enough. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you go ask Taka himself? Or haven’t you thought that it’s because of people like you lot why Taka didn’t reveal his girlfriend’s name.”

With that, she shoved her way through the crowd, heading to her formroom. However, the usually peaceful and easy journey turned into an arduous one. Students kept coming in from all corners of the school just to ask her the same question. Along the way, she encountered another girl ―Airi― who was going through the same thing _just because_ her name begins with “Ai”.

Sliding the door open viciously, Aika’s brown eyes scanned the room for Takao and found him chatting with a group of guys near to his seat. She stormed over to him and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him to the back of the classroom.

“Ai-chan?!” Takao shrieked in shock.

“Don’t “Ai-chan” me, Kazunari-kun.” She said while crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m mad.”

Takao stiffened. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Could you care to share why the entire school is harassing girls with “Ai” in their name?” she asked fiercely. “Since you apparently _“didn’t do anything”._ ”

Takao slapped his forehead. Aika looked at the boy questioningly, and after he regained himself or whatever, he told her what transpired on Saturday. While Aika was silently planning to kill Kasamatsu and Kise, she realized that Takao brought it upon himself when they provoked the eldest teen. So therefore, if she really were to kill anyone, she’ll have to start with him.

“Next time,” she sighed, “don’t say anything.”

“It’s not that I meant to. It just slipped out!”

“Fine.” She shrugged casually. She then moved closer to him and said, “And why exactly does your other four bandmates think I’m your prospective girlfriend?”

Takao chuckled nervously and avoided making eye contact. “Beats me.” He didn’t want to tell her that they were all just disgusting bastards who loved to tease each other. That, and, when Kise said that he saw “some seriously blinding sparks fly” whenever Takao and Aika interact, the hawk-eyed boy figured that either Kise was just awful or his eyes were seeing something that he wasn’t.

However, judging by his reaction, Aika knew that Takao knew something and wasn’t telling her. Well, she had other means of getting it out of the hawk-eyed boy anyway.

“I see.” She said with a hum before turning and heading to her seat. Takao let out a sigh of relief but then, his classmates swooped in like hawks on a prey.

“What was that all about?” one of the boys asked. He was a tall youth with black hair and dark eyes ―typical look for a Japanese. He was Tsukiyama.

“That’s what you’re asking about?” another piped up. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He was Honda. “What I wanna know is if you two are secretly dating or something? Like, she looked like a mad wife.”

“Eh?!” Takao screeched out. “No, we’re just good friends!” He waved his hand dismissively in front of him.

“Heeh?” Tsukiyama smirked. He leaned over and was seemingly insinuating something. “Good friends who disappear together at lunch time, who are seen walking home sometimes, who look at each other like they’re eye-fuc―ow!” Tsukiyama shouted in agony as he felt something holding his hair with a vice-like grip.

“What was that, Tsukiyama-kun?” Aika’s face darkened, her voice was cold like ice. “Hmm?” Takao had to admit, Aika looked menacing here.

“Nothing Hattori! Nothing!” he screeched in his defence.

She released his hair and looked in Takao’s direction, “Kazunari-kun, you need to choose your friends better.”

“They’re just a bit crazy, Ai-chan.” The point guard chuckled. “They’re good guys.”

Tsukiyama and Honda exchanged glances with each other before breaking out in devious grins. “What’s this? They’re on first name basis already?”

_xxxx_

Catal Rhythm lay on the floor in the practice room, panting like crazy. They had just finished going through their routines for the concert, and they must admit, they _will die._ Of the three songs, two had killer routines ― _Hide and Seek_ and their new song ― _Lucifer._ That was what got them flipping out the day Kenji gave them the envelopes. And what’s worse, Aihara makes their idols sing _and_ dance on the live stage. No lip-syncing some parts and singing live other parts, like other companies. The only thing they have prepared is the music. But then again, the good thing about this, is that no one can say they can’t sing or whatnot.

At the moment, Hikaru was elsewhere, killing off another group with brutal choreography. Plus, since the boys already know their routines, there wasn’t a need for him to be constantly watching over them (although he would have given how much he adores his son).

“Guys, I’ve been thinking,” Takao panted.

“Hmm…?” they groaned out.

“We’re going up first, right? So since that’s the case how about we change the moves and lyrics of _“Hello”_ a bit?”

The other four’s eyes widened with surprise. They then looked to each other wondering if they had heard right.

“Change what to what?” Kasamatsu asked. “And, please, don’t let it be anything too serious.”

Takao laughed. “Of course not.” He got up and stood before them. “Here’s what we’ll do at the concert to make the crowd ours.”

Kagami grinned. “I’m all ears.”

…

And so the weeks continued on, Catal Rhythm’s new music video ― _Lucifer_ ― was released. Of course, prior to it being shown to the public, their teammates viewed with them the day before, and like “ _Hello”,_ they watched it five times, each time focusing on one boy. The teasing was endless, but nevertheless, their teams were proud of them.

In regards to their families, Kazue ― _Takao’s younger sister_ ― called him non-stop and demanded that the next time they shoot a video, she should be there watching with everyone else. His father ―Kazuo and his mother expressed their pride over numerous phone calls.

With Kasamatsu, his brothers kept screeching about how cool “Onii-chan” was and sounded like hysteric little fangirls. His parents were amazed at their son as well, as never in their wildest dreams they’d see Kasamatsu do something like this. While, it was within expectation that he’d be a guitarist or something, being in a pop idol group ― _and the Leader, no less_ ― still had them a bit shocked.

Kuroko’s parents were the usual, since they already knew what their son was capable of. Add to that, Hikaru is the group’s choreographer. Kagami’s dad called from America, and apparently, he was stunned. He was proud that his son wasn’t “drowning himself only in basketball” and actually venturing out into something new.

But in the midst of all that, Catal Rhythm readied themselves as well for Inter-High preliminaries. It was nearing that time of the year like always, and to say their workload got heavy would be an understatement. It was a _killer._ Yet, they managed to pull through with each passing day, one of the reasons being ―the other début groups were dying.

Every evening, they came in the Complex for rehearsals or whatever looking exhausted and drained ―like zombies only with good skin. No matter how many times the boys saw them; Catal Rhythm will _always_ burst into laughter at the sight, the other boys (minus Amari and Hirose) would wonder how they were still functioning.

It puzzled them, especially Nakajima, that the President gave them an order or whatever, and while _they_ were dying, Catal Rhythm only looked a bit tired. Amari and Hirose knew about their monstrosity in basketball, as when they found out who Catal Rhythm were, they made sure to watch some videos and to say they were breaking out in cold sweat due to fear was an understatement.

The two members of D:FI had even watched the Winter Cup videos and saw how viciously the boys played against each other, and wondered if they should make it to the bench and somehow get sent out on the court, Catal Rhythm wouldn’t care that they were friends, they’ll slaughter them nonetheless.

With the coming week, Catal Rhythm had to head over to Kyoto for rehearsals, in order to see if everything was working properly and to get their stage directions. It was fairly peaceful, given that only three groups were there at the time, and neither were Yume nor N.O.T.E.

_xxxx_

It was finally the day of the concert.

Kenji drove the boys to the venue, hours before the concert actually began, since they had to rehearse to ensure that all is well with the equipment. They’ve been doing that for the past week, but just to make sure (because anything could happen on the day), all performers had one last rehearsal to do.

They were the third ones to go up for rehearsing, but Kise and Takao couldn’t help but feel uneasy. They know about the “Cinq Curse” and hoped that N.O.T.E didn’t try anything today. If they did, not even Kenji would be able to stop them unleashing their wrath.

After the final rehearsals and whatnot, the groups returned to their dressing rooms to get ready for the concert later on today. The boys of Catal Rhythm were ecstatic yet extremely nervous. They were in Kyoto, far away from their comfort zones of Tokyo and Kanagawa. And as per usual, Kasamatsu kept doing breathing exercises like he was in labour, Kagami complaining about wanting to use the bathroom while having a sick look on his face, Kise scrolled through his social media, Kuroko read a novel and Takao took numerous pictures.

“Oi, Sai, don’t forget to step _once_ because if you step on my foot again, I’ll kill you!”

They heard a deep voice sounded from outside the door. Immediately Kise and Takao’s ears perked up.

“Calm down, Kin-chan. I won’t, I won’t.” came another. This time, it wasn’t as deep as the first.

Hearing this was all they needed. Kise and Takao immediately knew who they were and flew out of their dressing room with phones in hand. Swinging the door viciously open, they spotted the four boys of Yume a little ways off, walking down the hallway. With a deafening screech, the two boys bellowed―

“ _Yume!”_

—leaving the older boys frightened. The four saw the two boys thundering towards them and stiffened with fright.

“Run!” Eiji screamed in fear. Thinking that they were psychotic fans, the four boys of Yume dashed off, heading to their dressing room. When Kise and Takao saw this, they increased their speed and within a flash, they caught up to Yume, halting them.

“We just want…” Kise panted.

“…some pictures.” Takao finished.

Recognizing the faces from the rehearsals, Sai said, “Oh shit! Don’t scare us like that!”

“Sorry, but you were running.” Kise said with a grin. “So naturally we’ll chase you.”

“We ran because you looked like crazy fans!” Hoshi screeched. “ _So naturally,_ we’ll run.” He mimicked Kise’s speech here.

“Oh.” Takao and Kise exchanged glances at this. But within a second, they switched back to their chirpy selves and said, “Can we take pictures with you?!” even batting their eyelashes for extra effect.

“Uh, sure…? I guess?” Eiji said with uncertainty.

“Kyaa!” the ace and the point guard screeched as they practically flew into the midst of Yume.

“Huh? We had fanboys from Aihara?” Hoshi asked with a chuckle. “I never knew that.”

“I’ve been a fan before I became an idol.” Kise said, Takao nodding in agreement beside him.

Yume looked at the boys and nodded. While they didn’t know much about Catal Rhythm, since they were unlucky enough to get to perform last, they watched all the groups’ rehearsals, and they remembered the boys from Aihara. They didn’t pay attention to N.O.T.E because they absolutely hate everything that comes from Cinq.

“So, how are we going to take this picture?” Eiji asked. “And we have to make it quick.”

“Right!” Kise whipped out his phone and indicated to Takao to huddle with the four boys. When they were all settled, Kise snapped the photo and then indicated that they should do another. This time, Takao asked them for a crazy shot which luckily; the guys of Yume agreed and twisted their faces comically. When Takao was done, he left Yume and Kise took his place.

The blond took his pictures in a similar fashion to Takao, a normal and a crazy shot, although for his crazy shot, they stooped to the group and looked like thugs. Well, Yume were a hip-hop group so the pose was fitting.

“Thank you~!” the two chirped in joy before merrily skipping off back to _their_ dressing room. They were glad that they met and took pictures with Yume and as such, all their fears and nervousness were gone, and they nearly forgot that they were going on the stage first.

“What happened to you two?” Kasamatsu asked when he saw them re-entering the dressing room with huge grins on their faces. “And where did you run off to?”

“We took pictures with Yume! Kyaa!!” Kise and Takao both screamed. They were such _fangirls._ Kagami rolled his eyes but there was a part of him that was accustomed to this behaviour. Kuroko didn’t even flinch when he heard the door open so worse, he didn’t even look up from his novel. He couldn’t care less about Kise and Takao anyway. Kasamatsu, on the other hand, nodded in understanding, and that’s what got them raising eyebrows. The captain was clueless to the pop world (well, he’s now making an effort), so why did he behave as though he could sympathize with Kise and Takao?

But, before anyone could ask anything, Kenji entered with their make-up artist. After about an hour or so, their make-up was done and they were fully dressed in their outfits. With just twenty minutes to go, Kasamatsu, who had brought along his guitar in hoping to calm his nerves, started to play the chords for one of their songs.

He started to sing in a low and soft voice, totally different from what the studio version sounded like. Kuroko joined in with his sole line before Kise came in. While on the studio version the blond’s voice was more explosive and sung in a higher note and pace, given the chords that Kasamatsu was using, he lowered the note and speed in order to match it.

They jammed out the entire song, totally forgetting that Kenji was still in the room, and totally not seeing the man with his phone poised and videoing. A smile graced his face, as when he looked at them, he saw them genuinely having fun. He realized that they were different from all the idols in the industry (to his knowledge). They remained themselves, no matter where they were, or who they were in front of.

“Catal Rhythm,” a knock came from the door. “It’s five minutes until you head out to the wings.”

“Well boys, you ready?” Kenji asked, putting his phone away in his pocket.

“Of course!” they chirped.

“Alright, guys, let’s huddle up.” Kasamatsu started. The five formed a circle after which they placed their palms over each other. “Don’t be nervous guys. If anything, think of this as the first step in conquering Japan before we take over the world.”

“Right!”

 “So, we’re going to go out there, do our best, and ensnare the audience! We’re going to leave them stunned and weak and wanting more of us!” Kasamatsu was pumping them up far too much.

“Yeah!”

“So…who are we?!”

“CR!”

“And what are we gonna do?!”

“Take over the world!”

Kasamatsu smirked. “Damn right!”

Kenji chuckled at their group rally cry or whatever they call it. Their faces were priceless although scary when they said they’ll take over the world, but given their personalities, Kenji was sure, that they won’t stop until they actually achieve it.

“They’re going to overwork me.” He smiled to himself.

_xxxx_

MusicStock was one of most attended concerts in the year, given that their line-ups are always pretty good. What’s even better, Yume was the headliner given that out of all the groups that will be performing, they were the most famous. Perfect 5th nor Diverse were going to be there, being that they had a bunch of other things to do.

In the wings, Catal Rhythm could hear the sounds of the crowd and strangely, they didn’t feel all that nervous. They treated this like Ai-Fest, performing in front of a crowd that knows next to nothing about them.

“Catal Rhythm?” a voice called from behind them. Quickly, they turned around to see the stage director, a man with average height and looks.

“Yes?” Kasamatsu replied on behalf of all of them.

“There’s been a change to the directions.”

“Huh?” Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow in question. He held up a hand to indicate to the others behind to not make even a peep. He _knew_ what Kise and Kagami were like anyway. “What do you mean?”

“N.O.T.E made last minute changes to their routine and set up. And as such, you guys can’t exit the stage as you rehearsed.” The Stage Director answered. “Since they’ll be coming up from the centre stage, you guys will have to start leaving the stage with thirty seconds remaining in your final song. Try like fading away to the back or something. Just don’t be in camera one’s way.”

“Fade? But that will look tacky. We can’t do that.” The captain reasoned. “Why the sudden change anyway?”

The Stage director sighed. “N.O.T.E didn’t say. Sorry.”

“Alright, we got it.” Kasamatsu quickly said, wanting to get rid of the stage director as quickly as possible before Kagami and Kise make a lunge for him.

When he left, the five boys were murderous.

“How could those assholes!?” Takao screeched in rage. “What the hell are we gonna do?!”

“We’re going to kill them.” Kagami snarled. “That’s what we’re gonna do.”

“Hold on, Kagamicchi.” Kise said. “I have to call Onee-chan. We need something to dispose of their bodies afterwards, right?”

Kagami grinned at Kise’s savageness.

Kasamatsu ignored the raging teens and looked at the stage for one last time before they headed out. A part of it was like a runway, where the groups could walk down to get a closer look to the audience. And of course, since this was a live broadcast, there were cameras everywhere ―above, at the sides of the stage…etc.

He spotted the Rakuzan team and Akashi standing imposingly at the front with Touou beside them, to the left of the runway stage there was Seirin and Shutoku along with Alex and Tatsuya. To the right, there was Kaijou. Just then, a light bulb went off in his head.

“Guys!” he called out, immediately silencing them. “I have an idea.” The other four nodded, urging their leader to continue. “Although I’ve only seen rock bands do this, but —”

“As long as we won’t look like shit at the end, Senpai.” Kise said, cutting him off. Kasamatsu smiled at this. He knew his ace was agreeing to whatever he thought up, knowing full well that the captain won’t let them seem like fools.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do. But we’ll have to get Kenji-san’s cellphone.”

_xxxx_

“Ladies and Gentlemen, our first act is from Aihara Productions.” The host began. “And trust me, if you weren’t at Ai-Fest or seen a video of them dancing, prepare to get blown away. These five boys are great dancers, great singers, and to top it off, they’re a little bit quirky.” He chuckled. “And I hear that one of them fell into a basin of politeness or something…” he trailed off when the audience laughed, “…another can see ten thousand miles away…” the man tapped his chin and hummed, as if trying to remember the rest. “…another smiles so bright it puts the real sun to shame…”

The audience roared with laughter.

“…one is a wild animal, apparently. I wonder how does that work?” the host continued, “…and lastly, but definitely not least, one is a gentleman that’ll leave all the females weak…Let me welcome to you, Catal Rhythm!”

In the wings, the boys were laughing at the host’s antics but at least he managed to get the audience in a good mood. At that moment, the five boys walked out, confident auras seeping out of their bodies in thick waves. They waved to the audience as they emerged, trying and actually spotting Akashi with Rakuzan right in the front. The point guard’s red hair stood out, given that everyone he was beside had black hair.  

The redhead’s piercing gaze was strangely normal, but the five couldn’t linger on him too much. Their eyes swept across the crowd to see Seirin, Kaijou or even the Miyaji brothers of Shutoku given that they were the only ones of the team that said they were coming. Seirin were spotted a couple distances away from the stage, but given that they donned bright and obnoxious colours while being surrounded by people who were normal shirts, they were found.

Catal Rhythm had head-worn mics given that their choreography required hand movements and as such they can't use a regular hand-held mic. Their outfits matched in colour —red, black and denim, they all wore denim jeans. Kise was in a red blazer jacket over a red velvet shirt tucked into his denim jeans. His shoes were caramel coloured. Takao was in similar pants to Kise, but wore a red leather jacket with small green trimmings over a black shirt. He wore white sneakers. Kagami, he was in a red bomber jacket over a white t-shirt tucked into his pants and white shoes to match his shirt. Next was Kasamatsu, who wore a red leather jacket like Takao but his shirt was black and white, his shoes were black. And finally Kuroko, he wore a black jacket with red designs here and there over a red and black striped turtle neck shirt. He had on red converses.  

Quickly, they got into their positions —they stood in a single file, with Kise at the front.

_Hide carefully_

_I might see you_

Kasamatsu’s voice rang out at the same time that Kise made a step forward and bent, Kuroko and Kagami stepped outwards to their right (the audience’s left) with their hands raised, Takao and Kasamatsu did the same on their left. Within a blink, they resumed their single file position only to disperse again, but this time, they swapped directions —Kuroko and Kagami came out on their left while Takao came out on the right, Kasamatsu remained standing at the back. All except the captain was down on one knee; Kise had his back to the audience.

Then, they got up and went back into the single file for the third time, however, Kise made a tiny step forwards with both his hands stretched out to his sides. Slowly, he came down revealing Takao and Kuroko who, while facing each other, held their hands and leaned outwards to either side of Kise.

Kagami was not seen, but Kasamatsu was hoisted high above everyone else. What the audience didn’t know was that the captain was actually kneeling in Kagami’s back, his legs placed far apart so as to not hurt the younger male. While Kasamatsu was there, he did a few intricate hand movements, before quickly dismounting in the same breath that Kise came up off the floor.

The blond brought his hands together at his chest before turning to face his right, Kuroko directly behind him coming out on his left and faced the crowd; behind him was Takao who came up with both his hands in the air like a cheerleader, Kagami and Kasamatsu stayed down.

Swiftly, Kise and Kuroko switched directions while doing hand movements, Takao remained facing the crowd as if trying to continue hiding Kagami and Kasamatsu.

At this point, Kasamatsu had stopped singing, only the music could be heard. Yet, the boys continued to dance their routine.

Kise and Kuroko slid outwards to show Kagami, but then the former two continued hopping backwards in a zig-zag while Kasamatsu and Takao hopped forwards. In all this, they managed to get back into the single file for a brief moment, before dispersing again with Kise at the front this time.

_I’ll fly over to you like a butterfly_

_And then sting you like a bee_

_Did you notice?  Yellow flowers already bloomed_

Kise sang this part, and while he danced, the others (Takao and Kagami around the back and Kuroko and Kasamatsu closer to Kise) behind him had their legs crossed, and their hands in a diagonal before bringing them to meet at their chest. Following that, the four boys spun and came to a stop while facing outwards, not at the crowd. Bending their knees back and returning, they placed their hands into the air, and then swiftly brought them down —Takao and Kagami bent and slid on their knees, coming forwards to stop at Kise’s feet. Kuroko and Kasamatsu spun to come closer to the blond but didn’t go down on their knees like the former two.

As Kise continued to sing, Takao and Kagami came up on one knee while doing intricate hand movements.

_Spring has already come OK everything’s ready_

Kuroko’s part came in, and at the moment, they got into a diagonal line, and did a little cute marching action. When Kuroko sang _“OK”_ and everything that followed after, they seemed to have formed a “z” or whatever in the air.

_Out of the many people_

_I can only see you_

Kuroko continued to sing as they moved into their new positions. He along with Kagami and Kise moved to the left of the stage (the audience’s right) and with their hands raised above their heads, the three boys danced while Kasamatsu and Takao on the other side froze. When they were done, the former three froze as well, Kasamatsu and Takao’s turn to dance.

_For the first time in my life_

_I fell for you at first sight_

The duo got up from their position of bending their knees with their arms crossed over each other. They made an arm sweep with one hand before bringing their other hand to their chest sharply and bringing up one bent knee. Kasamatsu was the one singing here, and while he was doing so, he made hand gestures to the crowd, while Takao at his flank simply moved his shoulders stylishly and gliding his feet back and forth. At the end, the two boys froze yet again, with their hands crossed and one knee slightly bent upwards.  

_My hands tremble because of you_

_But I’ll aim carefully and shoot_

Kuroko came back in at this point. All three made a jump —Kuroko jumped to the back, while Kise and Kagami jumped to the front but the light-blue haired boy was still in plain sight. After exiting the jump, Kise and Kagami crouched down lower than Kuroko momentarily and then rose up and started to use various hand gestures.

_I’ll be brave_

_and confess like a man_

Kasamatsu came in again, but in that instance, Kagami, Kise and Kuroko moved back a little, Taka moved a little bit to be aligned with the former three. Kasamatsu was left in the front, and with cute gestures, Kasamatsu interacted with the audience a little bit. He pointed to the crowd as though he was singing this song _for_ them, and nearing the end, he flicked his jacket a little forward before making a beckoning gesture.

At that, the others were all line up horizontally behind him, Kise and Kuroko on their right, Takao in the middle and Kagami on their left. Everyone faced their outer direction except Takao, who faced the audience. The moment Kasamatsu slid back into the space between Takao and Kagami, the hawk-eyed boy started his part.

_Like the game of hide and seek_

_It’s not easy to get to you_

_But you’re already in my eyes_

_I’m still going around to catch you_

Takao rapped his lines with ease, and as he did so, he had made a step forward with his arms outstretched before bringing them back to his chest. Both he and Kise did this in sync while with the others, did it alternately. The last time he did this move; he fully faced the crowd and walked to the front with Kise and Kagami by his side.

While he rapped, he pointed to the crowd and gestured as though talking with them while the others danced ―

He then pointed to Kise then to Kagami before pointing back to the audience and pulling his hands back. The others, meanwhile, drew closer to Takao in a circular formation ―Kise and Kagami beside him, with Kuroko and Kasamatsu at the back blanks.

They faced the outward direction and made a step with their hands outstretched behind them before placing them at their heads.  They swung their arms forwards to point at Takao as when he pulled back his arms, they drew closer to him as though pulled. They crouched down and looked up momentarily before springing back up at “Ow!”

The four hopped back outwards, with their legs crossed before carrying their hands around them and turning their backs in one fluid motion.

Kise was the only one who still faced the audience, he took a step forwards, turned in Takao’s direction as if trying to communicate with the boy and sang:

_You stole my eyes_

While turning sideways and jerking back one foot and using the momentum to turn his body to face the crowd, he wore a smile on his face as he pointed towards them, as thought telling the crowd that which he just sang.

During this, the others had stepped off closer to the back of the stage so that all attention could be on Kise.

_You’re so pretty, I can’t take it. Fly. Fly._

Kagami came in quickly with his rap, and as he did so, he went beside Kise and exchanged a high-five with the blond, which was so loud that people in the audience could have heard it. By the time Kagami had rapped “Fly Fly”, they had all assembled together in centre stage ―Kise at the front, Takao and Kagami at _his_ right and left flanks, on Takao’s inside was Kasamatsu and beside Kasamatsu was Kuroko.

_Hide carefully, I might see you_

_Because you shine brighter than anyone else_

_I can find you anywhere_

This was the chorus and it was sung by Kise. At this point in time, Takao, Kasamatsu and Kagami bent their knees and leaned forwards a little bit, Kise and Kuroko were still standing. All five pointed their hands to their right while facing the crowd. They moved to their right whilst maintaining that position, this dance was called the “Crab dance”.

When Kise and Takao bent into the other three’s positions, they straightened. They continued to do this going to the right afterwards.

Completing this, Kise swung one arm out in a grand arc, and while he continued to sing and make minimal gestures, the others were dancing their hearts out.  Soon, Kise joined in the routine, they placed their face in the crook of their elbows for a brief moment, before bending their knees and moving their arms in a sweeping motion going from their right to left and stopping back to where they started.

They then assembled together, but Kasamatsu and Kuroko were at the front, the taller male having to rest his hand on Kuroko’s shoulder and leaned downwards. Doing this, the two blocked out who was directly behind them, Kise and Kagami were in the same position around the back.

_Even if others can’t see it_

_I see it in one glance, how could I not know?_

_The prettiest of them all, the one who stands out_

_When I look, it’s you_

Here comes Takao again with his rap and at this, everyone dispersed from the point guard, revealing him. While he rapped and walked forwards, the others grabbed at their pants pockets and twisted their upper bodies to Takao. They made a small running motion, before bending their knees and spinning. They then went down on one knee and it was here that Takao did the same dance although he was still standing.

He and the other four moved their arms side to side, and while he moved up, the others moved in closer.

_I don’t hate this awkward feeling_

_I want to keep these feelings forever_

_Until the end, girl_

Kagami started to rap, Takao jumping out of his way quickly. The redhead was now in the middle and all eyes were locked onto him but he didn’t care. He was having fun. Forming a semi-circle around him, the others entangled their hands in the air and spun, before coming to a stop leaning forwards, resting their hands on their knees.

Kagami then made a pulling gesture with his hands and Takao and Kise slid on their knees towards the boy, the redhead did it a second time, and this time Kasamatsu and Kuroko slid towards him. They made a fist and placed it at their chest, matching the beat, before crossing their hands over each other in front of their faces and getting up bending their knees.

The audience was cheering but not _that_ loudly given that Catal Rhythm were still somewhat unknown. However, their teams were appalled at the quality of dancing the boys were displaying. It was amazing, being able to dance _and_ sing crazy choreography. But what everyone could hear and notice was the rawness of their voices, every breath the boys sucked in, and the controlled panting of the ones who weren’t singing. Like Seirin and Kaijou who listened to their songs, they could tell that the boys were singing this song in a lower key than the studio version, especially Kise. At the moment, they knew he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep singing the original notes while dancing like _that._

But, the boys were winning over the crowd. Their song was “poppy” and cheerful, add to that, the five boys wore playful grins on their faces, not because they wanted to capture the audience, because it was actually fun. Plus, the gestures that they made to crowd were cute, although the audience knows that it must be a part of their routine. They’ve seen many idol groups do things like that.

In addition, the upbeat rhythm of the song wasn’t bad either, and it had many people bobbing their heads and tapping their feet, some were jumping and cheering. Kagami rapped more often in these parts, somehow pumping the crowd up even further.

“Oh my God! Kasamatsu’s killing it up there!” Moriyama shrieked as he watched his captain. _“Hide and Seek”_ never got a video so neither of the teams knew what the dance looked like prior to this. Seeing the normally stiff boy moving like that never ceased to amaze them, him and Kagami as well.

The song winded down to the end, Akashi having a pleased look on his face, Hayama was jumping and rocking to the beat, Mibuchi was too busy trying not to get anyone rubbing against him, and Nebuya was munching on a snack while bobbing his head at the music.

The song finally ended with all five boys huddled together at upstage centre― Kuroko at the front, Kise and Takao at his flanks and they were bent down on one knee while pointing to the audience. Behind them were Kasamatsu and Kagami who both stood, and like the former three, they were pointing at the audience as well.

Their heavy panting resonated in their microphones, the five sucked in air like a vacuum because they had two more songs to do, and the next one is just as brutal as this. Couple seconds later, music started to play again, after which Kasamatsu walked towards centre stage and began singing.

_Even if I try to avoid you_

_I can’t find a place to hide_

_I can’t even deny you_

When he had finished singing the first line, the others had gotten up and struck a pose ―nothing flashy. Kuroko was the only one who walked alongside the captain and when he had sang the second line, the light-blue haired teen made a pose while the others had kept theirs from before.

However, upon completion of his part, Kasamatsu turned his head in Kuroko’s direction and stretched out a hand downwards to the boy.

_I’m trapped by you_

Kuroko came in and sang with his soft voice. At the end, he did the same thing as Kasamatsu and stayed like that prompting Kise to start.

_If it was love_

_If you really love me_

_Don’t do this to me_

_Her whisper is the Lucifer_

_The Lucifer_

The blond came in with his high pitched voice and fast-paced singing, somewhat “waking audience up”. In their previous song he hadn’t sung that high, so at this moment; the audience were intrigued, so to speak. He walked to where Kuroko and Kasamatsu were, and when reached, all five lined up with each other before Kuroko and Kasamatsu drifted a little to the back.

Right before he sang the penultimate line, they struck poses ―Kuroko and Kasamatsu’s knees were bent and had one hand outstretched to the floor with their heads hung. Takao, who was beside Kise on his right, had his feet shoulder-width apart and had his right hand outstretched to the audience. Kise slightly turned his body to the right, while covering his mouth with one hand and stretching out his other hand to the audience.

Kasamatsu then slid to the right where Kuroko had been standing while the latter boy moved up and Kise moved back into where Kasamatsu had been. Takao and Kagami hadn’t moved from their spots. So, now, to the extreme right was Takao and on his inside at the back was Kasamatsu with Kise beside him. In between those two at the front was Kuroko with Kagami beside him on the extreme left.

After Kise finished singing, there was a musical interlude. Bringing their hands around in an arc before doing a little wave-like motion with one hand, the boys got into their routine seamlessly and synched well with each other. After doing that, they began tutting ―that is, with every beat they changed the angles of their arms seemingly reminiscent of Ancient Egypt hieroglyphics.

It awed the crowd into momentary silence as Catal Rhythm never missed a beat, was never out of sync with each other but most of all, their energy was high. Given that they had just danced a difficult and tiresome routine first, the crowd hadn’t expected this explosive and energetic routine to follow right after.

_If you tie me down and trap me_

_Then the love is also tied down_

_The future is also tied down_

_It can’t grow anymore_

_Freely empty yourself and look at me_

_I’ll fill you only_

_I’ll completely fill you only_

“Hmm?!” Akashi’s face took on a different expression upon hearing the lyrics that came out of their mouths, questioning just what were they singing about. Hayama didn’t seem to notice as he was too busy being captured by their dancing. Over with Seirin, it never perturbed them in the slightest, as they had gotten over it when the video was just released. Kaijou and Shutoku (so too Alex and Tatsuya) were the same, no emotion.

Since it was the chorus, everyone had to sing. Coming out of their tutting, with their bodies turned to the side away from the audience, their hands were over each other at their faces, they separated them after which they placed one hand on their thigh and then the other following while kicking out one of their legs quickly yet sharply.

They brought their hands back upwards in that same breath, and turned to face the audience while rolling their hands over each other as though they were wrapping something. They leaned to the left and right and extended their bodies upwards a little bit before stretching one arm up and out, the other with a balled fist at their cheeks.

Bringing the stretched out hand downwards, the boys then quickly brought them to their sides before crossing their wrists. Still, with their hands like that, they brought their hands up and back and repeat.

Coming out of that, they brought their hands backwards ―for Kuroko; he moved backwards whilst doing this, Kasamatsu and Kise moved forwards, Takao and Kagami barely moved. Thanks to this, their formation now had Kasamatsu and Kise at the front, Takao on the outside on Kasamatsu’s right flank, Kagami in the same position on Kise’s left flank and Kuroko was in between Kasamatsu and Kise at the back.

They then clapped above their heads once, before swinging one of their arms in a grand arc and then when their hands came down, yet again, they stretched their arms out, palms facing outwards.

Then, they made an “X” at their faces before placing their hands at the back out their heads, elbows pointing out. Within a split second, they crossed their hands yet again at their chests, and then with bent knees, they stretched their arms out at the sides.

Neatly straightening from that position, the boys wrapped one hand over their heads with the other placed at their abdomens, knees bent. Following that, they crossed their hands at their chests again then stretched them out to the sides as before. They did this once more, and when done, they straightened up.

_Your undeniable spell is the Lucifer_

This was sung by Takao, Kagami and Kuroko and while they sang, all five were standing in place with their hands crossed at their chests in an “X”, their index fingers pointing up. Slowly, they were uncrossing their hands as the three boys sang.

  

_Your undeniable magic is the Lucifer_

Kise and Kasamatsu sang next, and this time, they moved as though they were having muscle spasms for a short time, as they slowly turned their bodies ―Kasamatsu and Kise turned to each other, Takao and Kagami turned outwards and Kuroko turned slightly in Kagami’s direction.

_When I approach you with your angelic face_

_You say that the reason you live is for me_

_You say_

All five boys sang here, creating beautiful harmony. Then, Kasamatsu and Kise placed a palm on their chests with their elbows out and leaned closer to each other before moving outwards quickly to reveal Kuroko who was slowly gliding himself forwards while doing wave-like movements with his arms. Takao and Kagami came closer to the light-blue haired teen, while Kasamatsu and Kise headed further out.

They then turned to face the audience with both their arms stretching to the side. All of this was done in slow motion, given that this part of the song was sung in such a manner.

Then, Kuroko slid over to his right, Kasamatsu slid to his left so too did Takao. Once again, they were in a new formation, but this was the same one as before ―three in the front, two at the back― however, it was Kuroko, Takao and Kise in the front line, with Kasamatsu and Kagami at the back, on either side of the hawk-eyed boy.

_When I first saw you,_

_I stopped for a short time_

_As if someone was tightly_

_Seizing my heart, not letting it go (still)_

This was where Takao came in, singing his part with ease. With an arm sweep, the boys went into another set of tutting, and after which they placed both their palms over their hearts and mimicked a beating motion. Following that, they flowed into their tutting yet again. As they danced, everyone minus Kuroko had shifted to one side, and in this moment he sang “still” right before flowing into his lines.

_You took all, all, all, all, all, all_

_Of my heart just like that_

While the others danced, Kuroko had extended both his arms in their directions while popping the numerous “all” he had sung.

_You make my heart burn out_

_When you’re not here_

Kise came in with his lines, high noted as always. The other four had entered a diagonal and struck poses while the blond stood outside of it, seemingly to not care what was happening beside him. After he finished singing his lines, they moved back into the position for the chorus and once again, blew away the audience.

Moving their shoulders up and down with their arms bent in ninety degree angles, the five moved to their left before stopping. They turned their bodies slightly to their right, grabbing onto their belts, tapping their heels as they did so. Turning to face the audience, they repeated the moves prior, but after, they crossed their hands over each other and twisting as they stretched them out. These actions made them stand on their heels briefly, pointing their toes upwards. After this, the dance was the same as the chorus earlier, even the formation as well.

As the song continued on, the crowd cheered and screamed while some were just in awe at these boys. They didn’t know them, but their routine was fast, and _difficult_ with all those intricate movements and position changing, yet still, the five of Catal Rhythm were absolutely slaying the stage.

Seirin and Kaijou seemed like they cheered the loudest, as even they had watched the music video, seeing the full dance was really breathtaking. Kaijou screamed and screamed as much as their throats would allow, wanting to give their friends especially ace and captain more encouragement. In a crowd such as this, most of the people here couldn’t care less about them; they want them to stay positive, so to speak. Riko wondered about how they danced this rigorous routine without falling apart. She the deduced that basketball training helped to increase their stamina, but still, she was amazed.

She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard Kagami’s deep resonating through the microphone.

_Your stare captures me_

_As the days went by, it became sharper_

_I’m tired of your obsession_

_I’ve been cut a lot, my heart is bleeding_

_When it’s about time for me to pass out_

_She comes to me like an angel, saying “I love you”_

_Even though I knew it was really you_

_You really confused me_

Kagami didn’t do much dancing here like the others did. However, when he neared the end of his lines, he joined in with the others and glided to his right with his arm bent at his chest. Right after, they flowed into the chorus but this time, they added adlibs. These adlibs were mostly done by Kise and Kasamatsu with Takao and Kagami dropping in a rap or two here and there.

At the end of the song, they were all in a “V” formation with Kuroko at the front, Kasamatsu and Takao on either side of him and Kise and Kagami around the back. They stood with their feet shoulder width apart with their hands out and index pointing upwards.

Yet again, the audience could hear the heavy panting and breathing of the five, given that two intense routines were done back to back.  

“Good evening everyone.” Kasamatsu started breathlessly. This was planned yet again, given that they didn’t get to greet the audience at the outset because the music started immediately as they were introduced. “Thank you for watching us and cheering us on,” he panted heavily, “So, for our final song, we decided to tone things down a bit and sing _“Hello”._ ”

After this announcement, the five got into their positions for the song, as like Kasamatsu said, they really toned it down. _“Hello”_ wasn’t an upbeat and fast-paced song like _“Hide and Seek”_ and _“Lucifer”_ so the boys were able to catch their breaths and sing in a similar manner to the studio version, although they were dead tired. They crowd had stopped screaming and cheering at this, but they swayed on the spot so show that they were still enjoying the song.

Upon nearing the ending of the song, the five boys walked down the stage, the lighting director, the stage crew, stage director and everyone wondering what the boys were up to. This was not rehearsed, and the technicians prayed that everything will run smoothly. Kenji wasn’t so frightened, being that they had told him what happened and their plans to not seem like idiots or “shit” as Kise put it in its rawest term.

Then, they walked down the stairs from the stage, heading towards where the audience was, behind the metal barriers. Of course, Catal Rhythm dared not go where strangers were. Instead, they headed to their teams, Kuroko headed over to Seirin, Kagami headed to Rakuzan since Nebuya would be able to manage him, Takao and Kasamatsu went over to where Shutoku and Kaijou were, Kise headed to Touou.

At first, the security guards were almost freaking out because given how some fans can be, heading into the crowd was a suicide mission. _And_ they weren’t prepped about this. Before they could even intercept the boys, the five had already jumped onto the barriers and were on the shoulders of their teammates, singing still. But, here, the lyrics of the song were changed.

_Hello, hello, [Uh~yeah] (Takao)_

_Thank you for listening,_

_Hello, hello,_

_Thank you for cheering_

_[Thank you!] (Kise)_

At this moment, the crowd felt as though they were directly being spoken to, given that Catal Rhythm were sitting atop fellow audience’s shoulders and looking directly at the mass of a crowd before them. With Takao, his eyes never missed much, so while the others were singing their gratitude, he said to a group of teens,

“Thank you for cheering!” with the most perk he could muster. Though, he really meant it. But making sure that they knew he was talking to them and not the crowd in general, he continued, “That group with the three boys and three girls in the matching purple shirts with indecipherable writings on the front. Thanks much you guys.” He added a grin for extra effect.

Said group’s jaws drop in shock.

In Kise’s case, one male had subconsciously pointed to himself and said,

“Me?”

Lucky enough to actually see this, Kise replied, “Yes, you. In the striped blue shirt.”

When it was near the end of the song, the five boys raised both their hands in the air and shouted into their mics ―“Thank you very much!”

―Before the music completely faded away and the lights on the stage dimmed. They dismounted off their friends’ shoulders, and grouped up. At this moment, the audience riled up even more, many of them touched by what Catal Rhythm just did. While some didn’t know the lyrics to _“Hello”_ it was clear that the final chorus was not a part of the original and sung specifically for this moment. Never before had they ever seen an idol group enter the crowd and sing before, and many who weren’t near the stage was silently cursing their luck.

Even though the five boys were safely atop their centres’ shoulders, fans kept reaching out to them to which they shook hands with some.

So even when N.O.T.E made their grand entrance through the floor of the stage, hardly anyone budged, as they were still busy talking about Catal Rhythm. And of course, the four boys from Cinq were not amused.


	26. Invoking the Cinq Curse

 

For the entirety of N.O.T.E’s performance, Catal Rhythm took selfies with their friends and teammates and the occasional stray fan that managed to slip in. And with them being right at the front, the group from _Cinq_ could see what they were doing plain as day and got even more ticked off by it.

By the time their performance was over, N.O.T.E were so mad that even the host could feel their rage when they had exited the stage. At this moment, Catal Rhythm hopped up back on the stage and bowed to the audience, expressing their gratitude for the last time, before merrily heading off to their dressing room, oblivious that they had just invoked the _“Cinq Curse”._

_…_

“Senpai! You’re the best captain ever!” Kise screeched as soon as Kenji closed the door behind them. “You’re a genius!”

“Oi! Get off me, I’m exhausted!” the eldest teen countered, leaning on the table to support both him and Kise. From all that dancing, he wondered how Kise had so much energy left. “Besides, I’m no genius. As I said, it’s what I see rock bands do at their concerts.”

“Hmm…so they really enter the crowd like that?” Kuroko asked, since earlier Kasamatsu had to get the plan together so he hadn’t the time to ask.

“Yeah. But it’s mostly the vocalist who does it because the guitarists have to still play and the drummers…we all know they can’t move.”

“Oh. I see.” The light-blue haired teen nodded. “They must be crazy.”

Kasamatsu smiled his reply. “No they’re not. They crowd-surf too, you know?”

“Oh. Have you thought of doing that?” Kuroko asked yet again. He then switched to his playful mode, “I can totally see you doing it in the very near future.”

“What? I —”

He broke off as he heard his phone rang, and like before, his song that he wrote was his ringtone. Shrugging Kise off his back, he went into his pants (the one he wore from home) pocket and took it out. Kise peered over his shoulder to see the name of the caller but the captain moved away from him quickly.

“Hey what’s up?” he answered.

The other fours’ eyebrows rose at his tone of voice, and the fact that he was drifting away from them. Takao and Kise had the wickedest grins, obviously hinting at something mischievous. They sat back in their chairs, folded their arms, and watched the captain like hawks. Kuroko read his book but every now and then he glanced up at the captain, the devious smirk on his face hidden by the book. Kagami was the only one who remained a little normal —a _little._

When Kasamatsu got off the phone, he turned and faced them with an apprehensive look on his face. Kise smirked, having a feeling of who the captain was conversing with.

“Uh, guys,” the eldest teen started, knowing full well that his doom was near. Just given Kise and Takao’s faces, he knew what the boys were thinking. “Reiko says good —”

“Yeah!” Kise screeched as he flew up out of the chair. “I _knew_ it!”

“Shut up.” Kasamatsu groaned while putting his face into his palm. “She says good job tonight.” He groaned out.

“No need to be so shy _Onii-chan.”_ Kise teased. Takao was beside him grinning and made a heart with his fingers while batting his lashes. When he looked to Kuroko and Kagami, the Light and Shadow duo gave him two thumbs up.

Kasamatsu face-palmed.

The captain wasn’t sure of what will happen first, him dying of embarrassment or him murdering them because they keep implying that he and Reiko were together or would be in the near future.

“Stop calling me that, Kise. I’m not your Onii-chan.”

Kise grinned slyly. “Not yet.”

At this moment, Kasamatsu flew from his seat and gave the blond a kick which sent him rolling towards and out the door.

“Senpai!” Kise wailed out. Neither of the boys saw that further down the hall stood N.O.T.E’s manager.

_xxxx_

The dressing room was a mess.

Chairs were scattered here and there, water bottles were thrown all over the place, the contents spilling and making an even nastier mess on the floor. One boy could be seen in the far corner of the room in front of a mirror, smashing it with a full, sealed water bottle. Another boy was across from him, shouting all sorts of curses and swears under the sun as he kicked the chairs out of his way (which weren’t really in his way). Another seemed to be the most controlled out of the four, as he only sat with a venomous look on his face. A thick and dark aura seeped out of his body that it had their attendants cowering in fear. And lastly, the fourth boy had a magazine of some sorts and with a scissors in his hand; he repeatedly stabbed at a picture of five boys that wore laser-cut masks.

“Uhm, guys, we…we have to —”

“Shut the fuck up Oda-san!”

The manager flinched back in shock, but even though he was used to their behaviour, he didn’t expect this outburst…so early.

“Osamu-kun, please calm down. What’s the matter?” Oda-san asked in the calmest tone he could muster. In fact, he wanted to walk out of here and never return, but he remembered that he had a family support.

“What’s the matter?! _What’s the matter?!_   It should be fucking obvious!” he roared, his eyes were red with rage.

 _Well, I’m not a mind-reader, now am I?_ Oda-san really wanted to snap back but he kept his mouth shut.

“Those fuckers from Aihara ruined everything!” Takuma joined in. He was still stabbing the magazine with the scissors. “They should die!” He stabbed the picture with more force this time, effectively ripping the book and shredding some parts of it.

“Didn’t they go first? What did they ruin?” Oda-san really didn’t know since he was busy running around for the little bastards, he didn’t get to see their performance.

“How can those no-names manage to capture the crowd?” Nobuhiro screeched as he bit his finger nails. He had stopped smashing the mirror (although there was nothing left but broken glass all over the place).  “How?!” he screeched. “When we were performing, no one looked at us! They didn’t give a shit!”

Well, that was a bit of exaggeration, but it was for a fact that some patrons were discussing with each other what Catal Rhythm did and as such, didn’t pay attention to N.O.T.E. Add to that, when the four boys saw what was happening, they lost focus a bit and only danced and sang like they were rehearsing in front of a mirror.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, Oda-san left them and exited from the room. These boys were going to drive him insane if he didn’t find another job soon. He leaned on the wall next to the door, and exhaled a deep breath. He raked a hand through his hair and looked at the ceiling. N.O.T.E were awful, they were terrible…disgusting little shits. And that’s not all; _almost_ all of Cinq’s idols were like that. _Demons._

“Senpai!”

His head snapped up as he heard a pained wail. He looked down the hallway and saw a tall blond male lying face-first on the floor after which a shorter dark-haired male walked out looking a bit upset.

“I’m not your Onii-chan!” the raven-haired boy shouted.

“But you and Reiko-nee are perfect for each other!” he whined. “I can’t see anyone else for my sister but you!”

Oda-san’s eyebrows rose at this statement. _What’s this?_ It was a known fact worldwide that Aihara allows his idols to date, even as early as their trainee days. Although the fanbase for these idols are still upset whenever the news is out about someone dating, it isn’t _that_ shocking given that they knew that it was going to happen.

He saw the raven-haired boy’s face redden with a blush.

“That —that’s…” he trailed off. “…whatever!” He stretched a hand out to the blond male and aided him on his feet after which he whipped out a handkerchief or something and wiped off the blond’s face. “Pester me again and you’ll be sleeping with Kenji-san.”

“Hai…” the blond whimpered in submission. Oda-san chuckled at this, as the two boys seemed like a parent and his son.

“Yu-chan, this is a blessing! It’s best if you grab Rei-chan before it’s too late!” Another raven-haired piped up with a taller redhead standing behind him. “Good girls like that are rare species!”

“Yu-chan” Oda-san deduced was his name, made a sigh of resignation before saying to the three present,

“Hai, hai. I hear you. Now let’s get changed so we can leave. I’m tired. I want to go home and sleep.”

“Ah…can we order take-out? I can’t cook like this.” The redhead groaned in what seemed to be agony.

“Unless it’s healthy take-out which I doubt exists.” This was their manager, Aihara Kenji. Oda-san knows this much. “But I can cook for you, you know?”

“ _No!”_ was the unison screech coming from them.

Oda-san saw Kenji raise an eyebrow in suspicion. “Hoh? You’re hiding something aren’t you?”

“What? No…” the boys said as they waved their hands dismissively, clearly avoiding eye-contact.

“I see.” But this, by no means indicated that Kenji believed them. It was plain as day, even to Oda-san, that these boys had something in their kitchen or fridge that they didn’t want Kenji to find out about.

“Anyway, hurry and get dressed! You have to rest because we have things to discuss tomorrow.”

“Mou~” the tall blond one whined. “I wanted to see Yume in action…couldn’t we stay and watch them?”

“Stay where? As you saw, the audience is packed. And you don’t have tickets to get in.”

The blond let out a whimper.

“Don’t worry; you’ll see Yume live soon enough. Trust me,” Kenji reassured, ruffling his blond locks. And with that, the boys and their manager headed back into the dressing room, Oda-san letting a sigh.

Seeing all that transpired, N.O.T.E’s manager felt envious. He envied Kenji for being lucky enough to be the manager of those boys, and he envied Catal Rhythm for staying true to who they were. If only his boys were like that, friendly with each other, joke around with each other…but no, they were assholes through and through and they don’t even have a proper relationship with each other. It was for that reason, any time N.O.T.E were going on a TV program, —be it an interview, a variety show, anything for that matter— Oda-san _never_ watches. It was stomach churning to see them being so pretentious so _fake,_ like the perfect and cute angels that they _aren’t._

“And will never be.” He added.

…

After minutes of screaming and raging, N.O.T.E finally calmed down somewhat and left the venue in a sour mood. Oda-san felt at ease for once, given that throughout the ride back to the company, the boys were quiet. Normally when they’ve gotten upset, Takuma and Osamu would be grumbling until forever comes, Enya would be blasting his music so loudly that even people from a mile away could hear it. Nobuhiro would be reading a pretty gruesome manga, in hopes of getting torture references. But, for some strange reason, they’re _quiet._ But, the tension in the van was extremely _suffocating._ The poor manager felt as though he was being choked by an invisible hand or something.

Oda-san had never been so relieved to see the company building before in his life. He pulled up in the parking lot and without a word; the four boys exited the car and headed inside.

“I wonder why they came here instead of going home?” Oda-san said questioningly. With a sigh, he followed them inside and entered the elevator. Unlike the four boys, Oda-san greeted the receptionist. The group travelled up the building and exited on the fourth floor, and made their way to their office.

Oda-san had a bad feeling.

“Murakami-san!” Osamu shouted as he pushed the door open.

“Shit!” the tall male sitting in the cubicle shouted in fright. Oda-san didn’t miss the eye roll coming from the others in the room. “What is it that you need?” Murakami-san asked in a neutral tone. He, like Oda-san absolutely hated that they were employed here —well, the company isn’t bad, it’s just how they create their idols.  

“Catal Rhythm. They need to disappear!” he screeched.

“I’m sorry but I can’t do something like that.” Murakami-san deadpanned.

“What do you mean!?” Enya pushed through and grabbed the man in his collar. Murakami-san was _this_ close in snapping the boy’s neck. Oda-san and another —Arataka-san had to “persuade” the boy to release Murakami-san.

On the other hand, Murakami-san was blinking so much in a single second, it was clear that he was trying to suppress his urge to kill the boy.

“Aren’t there some scandals you can create!? Huh!?”

Arataka-san’s face twisted with disgust. While it was known that they sabotage other groups on stage, doing something like _that_ could ruin the lives of innocent boys forever.

“We really can’t do that.” Oda-san piped in.

Before the four could explode yet again, Arataka-san said, “It’s impossible to do. No one knows what Catal Rhythm looks like, and their birth names aren’t even up on their profiles. So there’s no way we can create scandals about people who we don’t know.”

“Fuck!” Takuma hissed. “So they’ll forever be in existence?”

“Yes, Takuma-kun.” Murakami-san drawled. “There’s nothing you can do.”

N.O.T.E fell into silence. But that silence meant that they were pensive, this, in essence, is never a good thing for whoever is on the receiving end of their schemes.

“We’ll fucking see about that.” Osamu snapped. “Let’s go boys.”

_xxxx_

When Catal Rhythm reached home and dropped themselves into the sofa, that’s when (Kise and Takao especially) felt the tiredness. Their whole bodies ached, as dancing three songs back to back was murderous. Even though they had their stamina from basketball, this was worse since they barely got any breaks in between songs.

“Man, I feel worse than after a match.” Kagami groaned out, stretching as he did so. “I’m _exhausted._ ” And this was saying something as after the concert, the teams had wanted to meet up for some matches at a nearby streetball court but even Kagami had declined the offer from _Aomine._ That showed just how tired the redhead was.

“I know right?” Kise agreed with a sigh. “But, it was loads of fun. The audiences faces were classic.”

The others nodded in agreement. When they had mounted on their friends’ shoulders, they were able to see the expressions of some of people nearby. And really, they were _classic._

“I see it on the news already.” Takao smiled, looking a bit giddy. “Rookie idol group —Catal Rhythm creates a stir yet again when they entered the crowd and sang lines of gratitude at this year’s MusicStock.” The hawk-eyed teen said, mimicking the speech of a news anchor.

“Well, all the better.” Kuroko yawned. He then whipped out a novel before asking, “So, on a different note, what are we going to do about our band? We don’t have a name.”

“That’s right.” Kise nodded. “And I’ve just realized something too. Aihara doesn’t manage rock bands. What are we going to do for management?”

“Oh shit.”

Quick to the rescue, Kasamatsu said, “If push comes to shove, we could keep our dream team except Kenji-san. That is, if he doesn’t know how to manage a rock band, and all we have to do, is get someone who has experience in that field.”

“That makes sense. Since producer, publicist and booking agent does the same job no matter the genre of music.” Kuroko nodded.

“So what are we going to do for our name?” Takao asked.

“Hmm…how about _Team 5K?”_ Kagami suggested.

“You must be joking.” Kise rejected. “That sounds like the name of a mangaka or something.”

“And here I thought my naming sense was terrible.” Kuroko said with an eye roll, the others chuckled at his comment.

Kagami snarled at him. “As if you had anything better.”

“In fact, I do.” Kuroko quipped. “I suggest _Alter-Ego._ ” Silence engulfed them all. Knowing what was coming next, Kuroko continued, totally unperturbed by their facial expressions. “I chose this name because it fits us. We’re a pop idol group and it is said that the opposite of pop is rock. So, the band will be like “The other self of Catal Rhythm” since “Alter Ego” means “The Other I”.”

The other four exchanged shocked glances with each other. Kuroko was known _notoriously_ for having a terrible naming sense, so for him to come up with something so profound was shocking.

“I take it our band is no longer nameless?” Takao said.

The others sans Kuroko nodded in agreement.

Kise shivered with joy, “Man, I can’t wait to get started! Getting the crowd pumped up with my energetic drumming, Takaocchi and Kagamicchi's heart-pounding rhythm and bass to drive the audience into insanity, Kurokocchi’s smooth and suave keyboard playing to keep everything in harmony and Senpai’s singing to rile them up further…” he cooed. “It will be wonderful mayhem!”

“Kyyaaa!” Takao screeched in joy. “Don’t forget Yu-chan’s awesome guitar solos! The female populace will melt like butter beneath our music!”

“While it will be wonderful, we don’t know much about bands.” Kagami joined, slightly spoiling their mood. “We gotta research first, right?”

“Way to ruin the mood, Kagamicchi.” Kise said with an eye roll.

“Tell us something we don’t know.” Takao added.

“You bastards…” Kagami snarled.

Kasamatsu chuckled at their antics. But just then, his phone rang out, its loud and obnoxious ringing frightening the five boys present.

_I can’t feel the way I did before_

_Don’t turn your back on me_

_I won’t be ignored!_

The captain jumped up, fishing in his pocket for the device. They were used to the captain’s numerous ringtones, but they found it strange that Kasamatsu mostly listens to Western rock music.

“Hello.” Kasamatsu said as he answered. He didn’t inch away from them like prior, and this fuelled their belief even more. Plus, the ringtone and his tone of voice were different. Kise and Takao were going to have a field day when the call ended.

“What?!” In that moment, the other four saw the captain fly off the sofa and dashed into their bedroom, doing what? They don’t know, since they’re too tired and lazy to move. But then, they heard a girlish scream coming from their bedroom and immediately, they flew up from the sofa, worried.

“Senpai!” Kise screeched as he entered the room. All four saw Kasamatsu sitting around the table in front of his opened laptop. His hand covered his mouth but that didn’t catch their attention. It was the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

“Yu-chan?” Takao asked in worry. This was unusual Kasamatsu behaviour and as such, they were fretting. “Is everything alright?”

“Ye-yeah.” The captain stuttered. “It’s just so perfect.”

Hearing that, made them realize that Kasamatsu wasn’t crying because of something sad and tragic, but he was crying because he was happy. But happy for what? They don’t know.

“What’s perfect?” Kagami asked.

He turned the laptop in their directions and let them read what was on the screen. Confusion marred their faces, the captain laughed at their expressions.

“What’s _Summer Sonic?”_ Kise asked as he scrolled with the others behind him. “What is this? A music festival?” he scrolled some more, “Who the hell are all these people?”

“It’s a rock music festival.” Kasamatsu replied, as he got up and left the room. “I’ll be back soon; I’m going to Kenji-san.”

When he left, the others kept looking at the screen, where they saw that certain names were encircled with red, the sloppiness indicated that someone drew it there before sending it to Kasamatsu.

Kise’s brown eyes scanned over the names, “Hmm… _LinKin Park, GazettE, The Oral Cigarettes, Dir en Grey, Asian Kung-Fu Generation…?_ Who are these people?” Kise kept reading the line-ups but he didn’t read them out loud.

“This is what got Kasamatsu screaming like a girl? I thought someone died.” Kagami sighed. “I don’t get it.”

“Well, it’s rock. We won’t get it.” Takao said as he rested his chin on Kise’s shoulder to focus on the screen. “But since we plan to be a rock band, how about we tag along for the experience?” the hawk-eyed boy suggested. “I mean, it’s obvious that he plans on going.”

“My first rock concert…I wonder what it’s going to be like?” Kise asked. “Watching lives doesn’t really show us what the audience goes through, right?”

“That’s right, Kise-kun.” Kuroko said.

A couple minutes later, Kasamatsu returned, happiness oozing out of his body in waves. He was even humming as well.

“Yu-chan, are you going to Summer Sonic?” Takao asked before the eldest teen could even sit.

“Yeah, why?”

“We’re coming with you.”

Kasamatsu’s face took a worried expression. “No.”

“Eeehh!? Why not!?” Kise and Takao asked.

“It’ll be best for us since we want to be a band!” Kise shouted.

Kasamatsu sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. I did plan on bringing you to FujiRock but we’d be busy on that day, Kenji-san said.” He said. “It’s just that for new guys like you, Summer Sonic isn’t for you. Especially with _that_ line-up on the _same day_ , it’s going to be extremely dangerous for you.”

“Psshh…” Kise fanned him off. “We can handle it.”

Kasamatsu’s face turned smug. “Have you ever been in a moshpit? Circle pit?”

“Haah?”

Kasamatsu didn’t say anything more except shake his head at them.

_xxxx_

Catal Rhythm slept like logs until Sunday afternoon. Actually, it took Kenji to head over to their house and wake them before they sleep out the entire day. _And_ remembering what they looked like the first time he woke them up after a hectic performance, the manager decided to bring company —Tobio of Perfect 5th, otherwise known as “Cameraman-chan”.

With his Besteker video camcorder in hand, Tobio was ready and fully equipped to catch every and anything. The two then entered the boys’ house and found that they were sleeping in their living room. Kise and Kasamatsu were in the sofa, the former being in the reverse position on the furniture. His left leg was bent over the back pillows while his other was bent with his knee resting on the inside arm. His head rested on the coffee table, his right arm stretched out on Kasamatsu’s legs. Meanwhile, said captain was in a sitting position, with his head rested on a throw pillow, his feet up on top of the coffee table and his arms crossed at his abdomen. He seemed normal.

Across from them on the left was Takao, who was curled up in one of the arm chairs. He was turned sideways in the furniture, with his head rested on one arm of the chair, while his left leg bent across the other arm. His right leg bent was over his left, hanging from the arm.

On the right was Kagami, who had slumped a little bit with both his hands hanging off the arm rests. His feet were stretched out forwards, going underneath the coffee table.

Kuroko…he was _on_ the coffee table, sleeping on his back. Although his position was normal like Kasamatsu’s, the mere fact that he was sleeping on the table was enough to send Kenji and Tobio roaring wit h laughter.

“Good grief!” Tobio laughed. “Not even Dai-chan sleeps this terrible!” he then looked to Kenji. “How is this possible!?” he asked as he went over to Kise, who, in his opinion had the funniest sleeping position. “Model-kun isn’t so gracious now, huh?”

“I’m beginning to think that they only sleep awful when they’re extremely tired.” Kenji as he slowly woke them up. Tobio was too busy videoing them to assist. He wasn’t going to let this pass him. He was going to get _everything._

“Kenji-san, what are you doing here, so early?” Kagami yawned.

“It’s not early. You have to wake up.”

“Ten more hours.” Takao groaned out.

The manager sighed, Tobio giggled in the background. With a sigh, Kenji whipped out his phone and dialled, leaving it on speaker. After two rings the person answered with an all too familiar voice.

_“Hello? What’s up, Kenji-kun?”_

“Kuroko-san, could you —” He broke off when he saw the boys flew up immediately, Kuroko snatching the phone and speaking with his father briefly to prevent the man from coming to the Complex to kill them off. Kenji smiled triumphantly; Tobio couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. He guffawed; he wheezed, he shrieked, everything one could think of. At one point, the camera had almost fallen out of his hands, but luckily, he was quick enough to catch it.

After Catal Rhythm came to their senses and was less sleepy, Tobio had left because he needed to save the footage. He knew that if he had stayed, they’d find a way to destroy it.

Sadly for Kenji, he had to wait roughly two hours before the boys were ready, so in the meantime, he decided to cook them breakfast. And yes, he saw what was in their fridge, and although most of the foods weren’t what he gave them and had junk foods here and there, he realized that they played basketball still, they’ll burn everything right back off _before_ they even had practice anyway.

…

“This meeting is to discuss the next Ai-Fest.” Kenji began.

The five boys looked at the man with surprise. Currently, they were at their dream team’s office, still looking a bit tired, but not like the zombies they were this morning.

“But it’s just May. Why are we talking about this now?” Takao asked.

“Because, the next Festival is going to be different, bigger and better than all the others prior.” Ren grinned. “And you have work to do for this one.”

“Eh?!”

“So, the organizers have finalized what next year’s festival will be like and here’s it.” Ren said as he handed them the papers. Reading it, the boys didn’t know how to feel about it.

_Day 1_

_Idols from outside Aihara Productions will be performing alongside the host company’s idols and if they so wish, are able to do collaborations with the host company’s idols. In addition, outside companies can choose to début new groups here._

Kise and Takao were shrieking about doing a collab with Yume or Tensei, but Kiyotaka asked one question which shot down their hopes instantly, “Do Tensei or Yume know who you guys are?”

_Day 2_

_Idols from the host company perform. Each group is to do two new songs, and like Day 1, they can choose to do a collaboration with idols within the company. _

This, Kise and Takao screeched about dancing with Perfect 5th again, since apparently, they couldn’t do it with Tensei or Yume…at the moment. Kasamatsu didn’t care, Kuroko hummed and Kagami seemed fired up. He still remembered when they danced in the Tokyo Dome and felt that a re-match should be had.

_Day 3: Meet and Greet_

_This is final day of the festival, in which no performance is done. Fans are able to meet their favourite idol for a handshake, autograph signing etc._

“Handshake? Signing autographs? That’s pretty lame.” Kagami grumbled. “I mean, who’d want that?”

“Kagami-kun, this is the only time fans get to meet their idols close up. They’d break their necks to get here.” Kiyotaka replied.

“If I were a fan, I’d want a tangible memory or something. Something as bland as an autograph doesn’t count.”

Hearing him say that, set off the others, more so Kasamatsu, Kise and Takao.

“I have an idea!” The three boys chirped.

“Uh oh.” The dream team groaned out. With both Kise and Takao saying that they had ideas, they knew it was bound to be stress. But seeing Kasamatsu’s face, they had no clue what was in store for them. Then, the five huddled up together and whispered in low voices so that their team couldn’t hear a thing. After a couple minutes, they broke apart and grinned like they were going to face a tough opponent. Kenji and the others could see a fire light in their eyes, and the manager was inwardly fretting.

“So what do you have in mind?” Ren asked, leaning forwards. He knew how creative these boys were and was itching to see what they thought up.

“It’s going to be mind-blowing.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	27. Growing Popularity

 

Ever since the MusicStock concert, Catal Rhythm has been hot topic. There hasn't been a single entertainment news that didn't talk about them, there hasn't been a single blog that didn't mention what they did, in essence, they were talked about _everywhere._

It wasn't because their performance was outstanding and jaw-dropping (in a sense it was, but Yume's far outshone theirs anyway), it was the fact that they left off the stage and entered the crowd and _sat_ on a couple of the audience's shoulders. This was never done before by an idol group, given how crazy these sets of fans were. If anything, the five boys could have been pulled down and stripped or something.

Even their schools were abuzz with it, and strangely, no one suspected that either boy sat on their teammates' shoulders. But that said, the ordinary basketballers were harassed by the populace, all screeching about "how lucky they were that idols sat on their shoulders" or "how was it like to have an idol on your shoulder" and the questions ranged. All they cared about was how crazy the five boys were, and wished that they had been in the audience to get a piece of the action. There were some who didn't even care for Catal Rhythm but just wanted to touch an idol. That said, Moriyama bathed in the attention he received from the girls, and made a mental note to attend all their concerts by the hook or the crook.

"Man! I wish I could have been there!" One girl screamed while gripping her hair in agony. "I would have definitely reached for Yuki's ass!" she continued, "Or, or, slip my hand up Taiga's shirt! Or, run my hand through Sunn's hair! Or, or God! The possibilities are endless!"

"Pffrrt!" Kasamatsu, who was sitting in his seat and chatting with Akagi like always, did a vicious spit-take in the boy's face after which he proceed to choke. He was drinking orange juice.

"Bruh, that's nasty." Akagi grumbled as he used his shirt sleeve to wipe off the beverage. He then turned to look in the direction of the shrieking girls, "Still, I suppose hearing that girls wanted to grab your ass is scary, right?"

After coming out of his coughing fit (their other classmates were wondering about what was going on), Kasamatsu replied almost breathlessly while shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "You think?!" he spat with sarcasm. "Where'd that come from?"

"From the girl's mouth." Akagi deadpanned. He then smirked at the lead vocalist, "But to think that you pulled off what we've seen our precious bands do. What? Did you forget that you were an idol and thought you were a frontman or something?"

Kasamatsu shot Akagi a glare that, if it was possible, the boy would have been dead instantly. "Given the circumstance, it was the only thing I could think of."

"What ―?" but the boy never got to finish his sentence as he heard yet another screech.

"You molester!" Another girl guffawed. "That's groping!"

"I don't care! If they come into our territory, then they should be prepared for the consequences! An idol does not simply enter the audience and leaves unscathed! They _have_ to be groped!" Girl A said with vigour, holding a fist into the air. "I pray to God that they'll do that at the next Ai-Fest!"

"Hell no." Kasamatsu found himself subconsciously saying, shaking his head with fear, fretting for his manly dignity. "Hell no, no, no."

Akagi laughed at his friend's expression and faced the girls, "Well, Asahara, Yuki says "hell no"! He's fretting for his and bandmates' lives so they won't pull that stunt ever again."

"What the ―!?" she ―Asahara― screeched. "Don't play with me Akagi! How'd you even know that anyway?!" she asked with a huff.

"For all we know, Yuki could be sitting in this classroom right now." Akagi put on a smug expression. "He does attend Kaijou after all, and he _is_ our age, am I right?"

The girls let out a gasp and looked about the classroom in fright. In fact, all they knew about Catal Rhythm were their stage names, date of birth and schools attended along with some likes and dislikes. But it never crossed their minds that "Yuki" could be sitting in their midst at the moment. "Yuki" could be any third year male at the school. Add to that the eyes of the males in the classroom were set on them.

"Ah…ah…ah…" Asahara couldn't say anything more at the realization. She sank in her chair in embarrassment while the rest of her friends found their seats as well. After that, the classroom went back to normal, no one hearing about Catal Rhythm.

Kasamatsu on the other hand, silently thanked Akagi because that would mean, he wouldn't have to hear any more disturbing wishes.

"Well, onto other important matters," Akagi started. "We need to start preparing for Summer Sonic."

"Yeah, getting merch and tickets, huh."

"Before we actually get to that, since you now live elsewhere, how are we gonna meet up with Mikki?"

"Dad is going to drop him at the venue so we'll meet him there."

"Cool."

"But, the other guys will be coming with me."

"Other…guys…?"

"Kise, Kuroko, Kagami, Takao."

Akagi looked horror struck. "Why? I thought Kise didn't know squat about rock music!? Is it safe for them to enter in such chaos?! They'll die!"

Kasamatsu sighed. Akagi did figure out him and Kise, so there's no harm in telling him of their side project. "Well, we plan to be a rock band, so they wanted to tag along to see what a rock concert is actually like. Of course I didn't want to bring them to Summer Sonic, but they insisted." He added, "look on the bright side, at least Summer Sonic is out in the open and not in an arena or any larger venue."

The brunet's jaws dropped in shock, totally ignoring the last sentence. He stared at Kasamatsu for some minutes before he leaned forward and said, "Is that even possible? Pop idols ― _pretty boys and cute shit_ ― becoming _rock stars?_ Bruh, are you serious?!"

"I am. Would I joke about something like this?"

Akagi leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "That's true." He then perked up again and rest his elbows on Kasamatsu's table and grinned, "All the better. Guess what?"

"What?"

"The squad was planning on being a band too. We planned to tell you at Summer Sonic, so act surprised when Koba tells you, okay?"

"Eh?! Really?!"

"Yes, they want you to join as well, you know?"

"Huh?"

Akagi grinned. "They want you to be the frontman."

"Eh?! What? I don't remember telling them that I can sing."

"That's it. They don't know." Akagi laughed. "Koba was like, "with his superb crowd control and addiction to crowd-surfing, he's the best to be our frontman! We just have to get some vocal coach to train his voice or use autotune", end quote."

Kasamatsu was not amused. "That's the reason why I'd be your frontman? Just because I like crowd-surfing?" he mumbled. "Koba's awful."

"And your crowd control abilities. Don't forget that important fact."

Kasamatsu sighed. "As much fun as it would be ―"

"I know, you can't. That's why I never asked you." Akagi nodded. "Plus, with you guys making your own band as well, that means, we can always do collabs in the future and drive our fans into blissful insanity."

It was Kasamatsu's turn to grin. "Indeed."

…

Like Kaijou and every other high school, Yotsuka Sogo was frantic with news of Catal Rhythm. Everywhere they turned, three of the boys from D:FI could only hear about their fellow co-workers, and Yume. In his class, Nakajima was questioned relentlessly by the female populace and couple males as well, if he knew whether or not they'll do it at the next Ai-Fest. When the third year answered in the negative, they begged him to convince them to pull off such an act. It was endless torment.

Hirose was in a similar position to that of Nakajima, and it had gotten so bad that he feigned sickness just to escape to the Nurse's Office. The main rapper felt as though he couldn't breathe at one point.

Amari, on the other hand, he didn't go to class because he knew what was going to happen. He stayed on the roof until for the entirety of his class, but then when he realized that he might get into trouble if any delinquents decide to skip their classes as well, he trotted off to the Nurse's Office, surprised to see Hirose lying in bed and playing a mobile game.

"Did you see Yume's performance at MusicStock?!" one girl screeched. "They were so _cool!"_

"It's Yume. They're always cool." Another joined in. "But who caught my eye before was that new group from Aihara…Rhythm was it?"

"I think they're called "Catal Rhythm"." A third said. "What did they do?"

"They left off the stage and entered the crowd! They _sat_ on the audience's shoulders and sang different lines to their song "Hello"! How did you not see _that?!"_

"Well, excuse me for being a Dreamer." Girl A said with an eye roll. "Plus, I wasn't at the concert. I only saw clips and snippets on the internet." Cue the screeching and the fangirling from the group of girls who seemed to be ignoring the others around them.

"Haa…there they go again." Nakajima sighed as he along with Amari and Hirose headed to the school gym. "When will it end?"

"When something else pops up." Hirose replied, taking a sip of his beverage. "I mean, the concert was Saturday, obviously it's going to be fresh in everyone's mind."

"And then they released _Lucifer_ the other day on top of that." Amari said. "Their management ain't playing. I mean, getting a spot on MusicStock? I wished Kenji-san was our manager, I hear he's frightening when it comes onto things like these."

"I know right? They got the demonic Ken-Ren duo." Hirose agreed. "And what, we're just starting our recording for _Rush_. I think they might overtake us in popularity one of these days."

"That's preposterous." Nakajima snapped. "Before we débuted we already had a fanbase, but they didn't have any when they débuted. So how is it that they'll overtake us?"

Amari shook his head. "You might be right with that, but you're not keeping up at all with the times, are you Egao?" he smirked.

"Wha…?"

"There are more and more people gravitating to Catal Rhythm because they're "real" as they'd put it."

"Real? What do you mean?" Nakajima twitched slightly with anger. "Are they implying that the rest of us are fakes?"

Hirose and Amari laughed. "No, not like that!"

Amari then said, "Unless you're from Cinq," which caused Hirose to howl with laughter even more. Nakajima understood what his bandmate meant, but he couldn't bring himself to laugh although there was an obvious smile on his face.

"Didn't you listen to ZYP the other day when they were interviewed by Juuzou?" Hirose asked. Nakajima gave him a feisty look which indicated that he didn't. "Well, someone posted the audio ― _God knows how they got that shit_ ―and honestly, how they answered some of the questions really wasn't "idol like" so to speak. They didn't hide anything." He said. "Absolutely no filters."

"Isn't that dangerous?!"

"I don't know, but people are liking them." Amari shrugged. "So whatever they're doing, it's working."

They then rounded a corner and reached the locker rooms of the basketball club. They entered the room and greeted the boys present, although not all are fond of them because they're idols and most of the girls are gravitating to them. By the time, the boys were done changing; they went to the gym, to do their warm-up exercises.

"Why do we have to do this anyway?" Nakajima grumbled as he jogged.

"It's your fault." Amari spat. "If you had just kept your mouth shut then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Nakajima didn't answer at first. But after a couple seconds, he said, "But it's infuriating and unfair." He started. "I mean, the boys in the club are doing this with their whole hearts and here we are, half-assing it because our boss told us to. _And_ we don't want to lose our jobs."

"You do have a point, but guess what?" Hirose said with a smirk.

"What?"

"It's still your fault."

Nakajima twitched and shoved a crackling Hirose to the side. "Die, bastard."

Some more minutes and the coach blew his whistle to have them assemble before him. When they were gathered, the middle-aged man started, "Well, we all know that we've qualified for Inter-High, so that means, the regulars will be going on a training camp to improve their skills."

The boys let out a groan.

"I don't want to hear your complaints! I'm sure you haven't forgotten our match with Kaijou in the leagues?" he asked with sarcasm. "And while we've escaped meeting them again first thing in the tournament, there's a possibility that we can meet monsters like Touou, Shutoku or even Seirin, all from Tokyo. Or, if I were to go even further, we could meet schools like Rakuzan and Yousen." He said with a stern voice, "So you understand what I'm trying to say here?"

"Yes Sir!"

Meanwhile the coach was giving his speech; Nakajima had no idea how dangerous the aforementioned schools were. He really didn't want to do this, so he never puts out the effort to learn about basketball. Apart from the different positions, techniques and areas on the court, Nakajima is almost ignorant of the monsters that lie in high school basketball. Amari and Hirose however, were all too knowledgeable. They've watched the matches, they've heard the stories from Catal Rhythm, so they _knew_ what the courts were like.

And frankly, they were dreading the day they made it to bench and had to play in one of those matches. They got goosebumps just _thinking_ about it.

After the coach finished addressing house-keeping matters, they got into their regimen and started off with push-ups. Luckily, the three idols were able to do this given that in their field of work one must be fit and exercise. Following that, they had sit-ups to do, then back and forth sprints.

It was the sprints that killed them, as being idols, there isn't going to be a time on stage when they'll need to do such brutal sprint sets. Probably running away from their crazy fans, but at the moment…not so much.

The trio felt like they were dying, and this was just the "warm-up".

"Good God, what did I do to deserve this?" Amari wept.

_xxxx_

At the end of their day, after basketball practice, and after their Foreign Language class with Ichinose and vocal training with Akamine, Catal Rhythm went to meet their team at the office. Earlier, they had gotten a message from Kiyotaka, stating that he had a surprise for them ―but it was still work.

"Well boys, guess what?" Kiyotaka grinned as he looked at them. Seeing the grin, Catal Rhythm knew that they were in for something. They shrugged their shoulders, indicating that they didn't know. "You're requested to be on a game show."

Kagami groaned aloud. "So we'll be making fools of ourselves again, huh?"

Kiyotaka smiled. "Nope. This is a quiz game show."

Kise and Kagami nearly fainted. "Quiz?! We can't go on that!"

"Why not? Your grades are really good." Kiyotaka leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "You think that if you were idiots I'd set you up to meet your doom like this?" He made an over-dramatic gasp. "How could you think of me in such a manner?"

"No…but…our grades are good because we study for the tests." Kise admitted. "Right, Kagamicchi?"

The redhead nodded in agreement with him and added, "Plus Kasamatsu will kick us into oblivion if we had failed anything."

"Actually, their grades are good because I threatened them at the beginning of the school year." Kenji said from his desk without looking up from the papers before him. "If it weren't for that, then they would've been hopeless."

Kiyotaka blanched. "Seriously?" however, he put that thought away and smiled at his five boys, "But anyway, this game show isn't so bad. Plus, you have Kasamatsu-kun with you."

"Don't tell them that!" Kasamatsu nearly screamed. "You'll be putting more pressure on me!"

The booking agent laughed at his expression. "No not really." He said as he shuffled through the papers. "There are specific subject areas that the quiz masters ask from ―Math, History, Literature, Japanese, English, the Sciences, and Music related things. So, I'm pretty sure that the five of you can focus on one subject area, am I right or am I right?" he added, "Of course I'm right."

"Yeah, Ryou-chan is frighteningly good in History!" Takao chirped, "We can leave that to him!"

"Hey!" Kise retorted. He then looked across to Kasamatsu, "Senpai can do math. He's good in it."

"No need to tell me." The captain grumbled. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this, but decided not to dwell on it. He just silently prays that they won't look like dunces on national television.

"Literature and Japanese is definitely Kuroko, I can take English." Kagami said.

"Why do I get two?" Kuroko asked with a frown. "We _all_ can take Japanese. Well, except you."

"You little bastard…" Kagami snarled as he grabbed the Shadow in his hair. He realized that Kuroko was still hanging onto his first year proficiency test grades.

"So the problem is, who's going to take the Sciences? Or at least one subject area out of them?" Kasamatsu asked.

Kiyotaka chuckled at them becoming flustered. "You know, you guys could just ignore the Science questions. It won't kill you."

"But I don't want to lose! It could be the deciding factor between life and death!" Takao screeched. "Especially in the first round! How humiliating that would be if we lost in the first round!"

"It's not a big deal. Imagine the teams that you'll kick out in the first round."

"We don't care." all five gave out coldly.

Kiyotaka drew back at their viciousness. Currently, they were making a fuss about losing the first round, but didn't care about the teams they'll put in the same situation. _These boys are as cold as ice!_ He thought.

"Alright, alright." The bleached blond calmed. "It's up to you. Can't say I didn't warn you. So ―"

"It's my turn!" Ren sang as he pushed his swivel chair towards Kiyotaka's cubicle. "Remember Lucifer?"

"Yeah, it's our song isn't it?" Kagami deadpanned.

"Damn Kagami-kun, I was trying to lighten your mood." Ren said as he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, a journalist wants to interview you five."

"Are we going on TV?" Takao asked.

"Are we going on radio?" Kuroko added.

"Nope. Just a regular interview. No cameras, no studios, just you and the interviewer in a nice setting. Probably in some rich restaurant." But catching the look on their (Kise, Kagami and Takao's) faces, Ren quickly said, "And no, I don't think you'll be getting free food."

Instantly, they deflated.

"Come on, look on the bright side, it's for _Idol Monthly!"_

"What's that?" Kasamatsu asked.

Kise and Takao screeched in shock, causing Ren to forget Kasamatsu's question. "How did you manage that?!"

"Boys calm down."

"Calm down? Isn't that one of the most top-notch magazines?!" Takao screeched. "Wow!"

Ren smirked mischievously, "You obviously don't know who your publicist is."

"I told you boys before, with Ren and Kenji working together; you're in for a wild ride." Kiyotaka said from his cubicle. "They're a wicked combo."

"Kiyo-san! You're scaring them!" Ren huffed as he rose to his feet. But, in fact, Catal Rhythm were far from being scared. Sitting back down, Ren continued, "Anyway, these are the questions they plan to ask you." He handed them two sheets of paper and grinned as the boys read through. They then heaved a sigh of relief, actually grateful that these questions were fairly normal.

"We can handle this." Kagami grinned. "I'm actually glad that we're doing something normal for a change."

"But discuss your answers with Ken. I realized that you bunch are too truthful and innocent for your own good. You may even blow your covers and make everyone know who you are."

The boys sweat-dropped, "Hai…"

"Or…you may cause yet another stir." He added for even more effect.

"How so?"

"Oh, I don't know…" the publicist started off in sarcasm, "…like rattling off each other's prospective romantic lives on the radio. Or entering the Lion's den without protection." He grinned. "You've been hot topic on the internet, you know?"

"It wasn't intentional. It's who we are." Kagami defended. "Plus, these two are quite…" he said as he looked Kise and Takao's direction, who were feigning innocence.

Ren laughed. "I know. I know. But…just be careful." He cautioned. "Even if one of you get a girlfriend, do not let her name slip. And don't enter the crowd again if the circumstance doesn't call for it. As a matter of fact, think of something else! You're idols not a rock band,―"

"Yet."

"―so don't go doing those stunts again." Luckily, Ren didn't hear what the five mumbled out out of instinct.

"Yeah, Kenji-san gave us a briefing on that." Kise groaned out. The five could vividly remember how their manager explained in great detail how what they did was dangerous, life-threatening and etc. And if push comes to shove, even if they'll look tacky, they should still follow the stage director.

"Great! Now Kise-kun, you have a photoshoot next week. I assume that Takeda-san had informed you?"

"Yeah he did."

"Good. But you'll be going with Ken. And once again…"

"Keep the two away from each other. I got it covered." The blond grinned.

"I love how you catch on fast."

_xxxx_

After they were finished, Kenji dropped them home before heading back to the office. They were given two days off, being that they had the concert on Saturday. It was a relief for them, but the five realized something quite important ―they still had a long way to go in terms of performing and not sounding like they were struggling to breathe at the end of it all.

In comparison to their fellow idols ―Perfect 5th, Diverse, Triple Threat, even Starburst and D:FI could sound smooth and little less raw when performing. But, with Catal Rhythm, the audience heard every catch of breath, every pant, everything that came out of their mouths. Thankfully, they didn't sound like shit, but still…

"So…" Kise hummed as he scrolled through his phone. "…I've thought about something that I think may be useful to our future endeavours when singing."

The other four looked at the blond in momentary shock. Then, Kagami, Kuroko and Takao looked at Kasamatsu as though silently asking for an explanation of the blond's behaviour.

"What?" Kise asked, given the stares he was getting.

"Are you alright? Why did you sound so intelligent not too long ago?" Kagami asked.

Takao groaned, Kuroko sighed and Kasamatsu dragged a hand down his face as they saw Kise twitched with anger. These two were always quarrelling, always fighting over _something_ that it became a natural thing to the others that when these two started up, leave it to Kasamatsu to knock some sense into them.

"Well, Kagamicchi, I'll have you know that I'm not always sunshine and rainbows over a meadow of beautiful flowers." He hissed. "I have my serious moments too."

"Hmm…feisty much."

"Anyway, what did you want to tell us?" Kasamatsu asked quickly.

"Well…" Kise started as he typed speedily on his screen. "…in terms of singing while dancing, we could always practice when we go for our jogs. We could jog and sing our lines, and that way, we could improve our breathing and stuff."

"Not bad, Ryou-chan, not bad." Takao nodded in agreement. "Couldn't we test it out after we've done our homework?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Kuroko shrugged.

"And…" Kise started up again, still not looking at them but at his phone screen. "…I've also thought about re-painting this place. So I asked Papacchi to bring over my paints and other materials tomorrow."

Kagami twitched. "Do you have any idea of the work that'll take?! We have to move the furniture and everything!"

"That's why we never did it in the first place." Kasamatsu added.

"Senpai, calm down. I'll be using mostly spray paint." The blond grinned as he looked to Takao. "You know what you must do, right?"

The hawk-eyed teen smirked. "Say no more." He whipped out his phone and started to type speedily at the screen. "I'll tell Dad to bring my brushes and stuff too. We'll remake this house into something beautiful!"

Kasamatsu sighed. "Do what you want, just don't have any paint wars in here. It'll be a hassle to get all that paint off us."

"Yes Sir!" The two boys chirped happily before screaming and squealing at each other in delight.

"Well, how about we actually go jog?" Kuroko stood up and said. "I'm feeling restless."

Kagami followed suit and chuckled. "You're only restless because we have Inter-High, right?"

The light-blue haired teen smiled at his Light. "You know me too well."

Kise joined in with a laugh, "Ha! I can't wait to exact my revenge on you two." His brown eyes were burning with excitement. "You better pray we don't meet in the first round."

That ignited Kagami. "You're the one who should start praying."

Takao sat back and folded his arms with a smug look on his face, "I see you all are getting fired up at the mere thought of meeting each other…" all eyes looked at the smug teen. "…but let me tell you this," his face darkened, "Shutoku isn't called "The King of the East" for nothing."

"Alright, alright." Kasamatsu said to get them back on track. Their competitive spirits were being alighted. "Let's get jogging." He was heading towards the genkan where the shoe storage was, and put on his running sneakers.

"Right." The others said as they followed suit.

Within a couple of minutes, the five boys were heading out and jogging around their new neighbourhood. They didn't go far, being that it was late evening and they still hadn't gotten used the area as yet.

"So which song are we going to start off with?" Takao asked as they rounded a corner.

"Can't we just do them in order?"

"Yosh!" Kise chirped with excitement. He then started to sing "Hello", given that he's the one who starts off the song.

…

By the time the boys reached back home, their lungs felt like they were going to burst. At the outset, they planned to do _only_ brisk jogging while singing. However, somewhere along the line, they all started to sprint as though they were racing with each other. The only reason they managed to stop was because Kuroko was nowhere to be found.

"Let's…" Kise started, panting heavily. His head was thrown back on the arm chair, his mouth sucking in air like a vacuum. "…never do that again."

"It was…" Kagami started in a likewise manner to Kise. "…your fault."

"No…it…wasn't…"

"Whatever." Kasamatsu joined in to prevent them from quarrelling, _again._ "Maybe…next time we could…use a treadmill or something." He panted. "That way, we won't start…sprinting and kill ourselves off."

"That's right because I think Tetsu-chan is dead." Takao said, fanning the near unconscious Kuroko. "Look at him, he's beat."

"I'm alive." Kuroko said as he gave them a thumb's up. The only replies he got from the others were smiles, given how tired they were. When they felt a little bit better, Kasamatsu ordered take-out, as no one had the energy to cook. Of course, Kenji didn't know about this because he was busy at their office.

When all was done, they crawled into their beds, and _tried_ to sleep. However, neither boy could.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Takao ended up saying out loud. "I mean, we're idols. Who would've thought?"

"Certainly not me." Kagami joined in, rolling onto his side.

"Well, that's quite obvious, Kagamicchi." Kise snickered. Kagami was tempted to kick his bed, but he thought of the worst-case scenario. Kise's bed could drop right in his face; he couldn't deal with that.

"But I can remember the day when Senpai and I headed to Tokyo to buy sneakers." The blond started up again.

"Which we didn't even get." The captain added his bits with a grumble.

"Right, and then we headed to Maji's and we saw the three of you guys." He sighed. "Everything happened so fast…"

"I know right?" Takao agreed.

"But look on the bright side, at least this brought out a side to us that we never knew existed." Kuroko said, rolling onto his back. "I never knew Kasamatsu-senpai could write such amazing lyrics."

The captain blushed from the praise. "Well, I never knew either. I listen to rock songs, so maybe I'm subconsciously influenced?"

"Whatever the case, your writing ability is phenomenal."

"I totally agree! I can't wait for when we perform _"Clock Strikes"!_ Or that painful heartbreaker _"Et Cetera"!"_ Takao chirped, ignoring Kasamatsu's counter of 'I'm not even done writing _Et Cetera_ yet! _'_ But then, he, as so too the others, realized something important. " _When_ are we actually going to start performing as Alter-Ego?"

"Shouldn't it be as soon as we can play our instruments?" Kagami replied. "Right?"

"And _where_ will we even start?" Kise asked. "I don't know much about rock bands, but I'm pretty sure they don't get chances like idols do, right?"

Kasamatsu sighed loudly. "You four have a lot to learn." He said with a chuckle. "Anyway, rock bands usually start performing in Live houses at open mics or something of the sort. Places like Makki's "Euphoria" is where most bands start. And then as they grow they perform in larger places like arenas, Budokan etc."

"So…how do we actually perform at live houses?" Kagami asked.

"There are different ways to go about it." Kasamatsu said in a matter-of-factly. "For things like open mics, we'll have go to the owner or manager or whoever running the place, and sign up to perform. For things like actually booking the place and stuff…" Kasamatsu shook his head. "...let's not delve into that at this point in time."

"Oh. That's how it goes?" Kuroko asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. Well, that's for independent bands that aren't signed to a label. But of course, most, if not all bands started out like that _before_ they signed to a label."

"Oh. You sure know your stuff, Kasamatsu." Kagami said in awe. "You sounded a bit like Makki there."

The captain twitched, "Well, I've been a fan of rock for almost all of my life, I've heard the stories. Plus, Makki used to be in a band, so he'll know these things."

"By the way, what made him quit?" Takao asked. "Do you know why Ryou-chan?"

"Their vocalist died."

"Ouch."

"So…couldn't they have found a replacement?"

"He said that it wasn't just about vocals. If that were the case, then they still would have been together. But, there was more that they were looking for and just couldn't find the right one so they disbanded."

"Damn. I feel the pain and I haven't known Ma-chan for that long." Takao gasped.

"On that note about vocalists, I don't want to be the sole vocalist." Kasamatsu said. "I mean, you guys said that you can't let my voice go to waste, I can't let yours either."

"Well…" Kise started. "…I'm a drummer so I can't sing. Probably little backing vocals here and there, but I have to focus on getting those beats in."

"I'll stick to backing vocals. I'm quite content in playing the bass." Kagami hummed. "I really prefer to rap."

"Hmm…well, how about "hidden tracks"? You know, Yu-chan's albums all carry hidden tracks. So couldn't we do it like that?" Takao suggested. "Yu-chan's voice will be the main one, but on the hidden tracks will be ours."

"It could work, but it's best if we actually leave that alone for now." Kuroko yawned. "When we get to that bridge, we'll see how best we can cross it."

"Right you are."

Turning off the lamp light, the five boys finally headed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	28. The Interview

 

Their lives returned to normal, mainly focusing on basketball this time around since Inter-High will be in full swing soon. Their basketball practices had gotten even more hectic, but luckily, their idol work wasn’t packed with performances but mostly interviews and variety shows.

During this time, Ryouhei had not only delivered Kise’s paints and other materials, but he had also bought his son a cajón drum. This type of drum was box-shaped and played by slapping the front or rear faces with the hands, fingers or other implements such as brushes. Every drummer has one of these cajón, even Makio which is why Kise knew how to play it. However, the blond’s drum set would be delivered to the “Euphoria” (where their other instruments are) at a later date because Kise felt like having drum art on his Bass Drum.

So, after Kise had his photoshoot, the following Saturday Catal Rhythm had to go to their interview for _Idol Monthly_ magazine. For the first time, they were extremely calm, given that it wouldn’t be in front of any cameras or on any radio show…just them with the journalist. Plus, since they saw what questions they were going to be asked, it made them even calmer.

At the moment, however, they were on their way to the restaurant, Takao and Kise as usual were in a great mood, singing various songs from various artistes, Kuroko was reading a novel but hummed every now and then, and Kagami kept his eyes through the window and seemed disinterested in what the two idiots were singing about. Kasamatsu wore headphones and was listening to the guitar chords he’d strum up the other day. He added lyrics here and there, Kenji watching him especially with a smile on his face.

“So, here we are.” Kenji said as he pulled the van to the side of the road.

“Is this it?” Kagami asked in confusion. The building which they were before seemed pretty ordinary, or rather could be passed off as someone’s house.

“Yes, the restaurant is upstairs.” Kenji said as he motioned for them to get out. He wouldn’t be accompanying them to the interview because, well, it was their interview and they didn’t need him there. They were big boys capable of handling themselves properly.

The five walked into the alley until they saw a stylish glass door with the name of the restaurant carved in it. Pushing it open, they were greeted by what seemed to be a waiter, and after giving their names and who they were to see, they climbed a flight of stairs only to enter into square wood-panelled room.

A lone man was sitting around the large table with five other empty seats, immediately; Catal Rhythm deduced that he was the interviewer. He was an aged man, looking no younger than probably thirty-five and was dressed semi-formally. He donned a white t-shirt underneath a dark coloured blazer; his black hair was done in a sweep to the left.

The waiter then left, closing the door behind him.

“Ah, welcome, welcome!” the interviewer greeted and ushered the boys over to the table. “I’m Aiba Koichi, pleased to meet you.”

The five boys bowed as well, after which Kasamatsu introduced them individually. Since the public didn’t know what they looked like, naturally, Aiba wouldn’t know either. However, what got them roaring with laughter was when Aiba didn’t see Kuroko (like everyone else) and was scared shitless when the light-blue haired teen answered in his trademark:

“I was here the entire time.”

The interviewer gasped and clutched the fabric at his chest, trying his best to calm his raging heart.

“Jesus Christ…” Aiba breathed out. “…are you a ghost or something?”

Kuroko gave a small smile. “No I’m not. I just have a weak presence.”

“Huh?” Aiba leaned forwards with a brow raised in confusion. “How is that possible? You’re the main dancer, aren’t you? How can you have a weak presence?”

“It isn’t like that on stage though.” Kise replied. “If the rest of us aren’t careful, we could easily get overshadowed by him.”

“Is that so?”

“Very much so.”

Aiba seemed to have recovered by now as his heavy breathing and frightened look was long-gone. He sat upright and made eye-contact with the five boys (well four, given how Kuroko was still eluding his gazes).

“I must say, you’re quite different from how I imagined you.” Aiba started.

“How so?” Kagami asked, curious.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but, for some reason, you all look so _ordinary_. I’ve interviewed many idols before and they all have this… _look._ But for you, I feel like I could randomly stumble upon you when I enter a packed subway or something.”

The five laughed.

“Well we are ordinary boys.” Kasamatsu replied. “It’s just that we happen to be idols as well.”

It was now Aiba’s time to laugh.

“So, let’s get into the matter, shall we?” Aiba started before they started to get fidgety and restless. Catal Rhythm nodded. “Although you’ve just recently débuted, there are many people out there saying that you’re “different”. Tell me, do you have any special characteristics that make you “different” from the other groups?”

“I think what makes us “different” is the fact that we express ourselves openly. I guess.” Kuroko said.

“And that we don’t change who are in front of a camera.” Kagami mumbled.

“Your stage names are quite unique, as should be, but tell me, what inspired them? Were you the ones who named yourselves like how you named your group?”

“Yes!” Takao chirped. “My name “Taka” means “Hawk”. I chose that name because of my eyes. They can see a thousand miles away.” He grinned.

“For me, because my Papacchi calls me “his precious ball of sunshine” I chose the name “Sunn”.” Kise answered.

“My hair and eyes are naturally light blue, so it reminds people of the sky hence “Sora”.” Kuroko responded.

“My stage name is derived from my given name.” Kasamatsu answered.

“Same.” Kagami said.

“Oh, I see. Interesting. I never knew that you had the privilege to name yourselves as well.”

“We got lucky.” The five gave out.

Aiba then continued with the questions, “As a rookie group, what was it like being and performing at MusicStock?”

“It was fun!” Kise chirped. “At the outset, we were really psyched up that we were going to be there, and when we were performing, the audience was so amazing and so receiving.”

“Yeah, at first, I thought they weren’t going to respond to us, just stare at us or something.” Kagami added.

“I know right?!” Takao added. “I had even thought that we were going to get booed.”

“I see. Interesting.” Aiba nodded. “So, on that note, what made you enter the crowd? There’re many fancam videos going viral with it, and the concert was aired live so the entire country saw what you did.”

“To be honest, that wasn’t planned.” Takao took this question. “Prior to the concert, all the groups had rehearsals even up until the day of the concert. But, like, ten minutes before we went on the stage, the Stage director told us that another group ―”

“N.O.T.E.” Kise added.

“—had changed their choreography so we had to do something like fading out to the sides or…” he trailed off here, “…in essence, we’d look dumb and tacky if we did that. So Yu-chan suggested what we did.”

“Oh.” Aiba’s interest was piqued. As an experienced journalist, Aiba did his research, so he knew that “Taka” and “Sunn” have always referred to “Yuki” as “Yu-chan” and “Senpai”. He turned to Kasamatsu and asked, “So how did you think of such a thing? That was beyond “thinking outside of the box”. Plus, it was dangerous given how crazy pop idol fans are.”

“I’ve been to a lot of rock concerts, so it’s something I’ve always seen the frontmen do.”

“Oh!” Aiba’s eyes widened with excitement at Kasamatsu’s statement. “So you’re a rock and roll fan?”

“Basically.”

“Oh, going to MetRock? FujiRock? Summer Sonic? Or any rock festivals this year?”

Kasamatsu smiled. “Summer Sonic. We’ll be busy on the day of FujiRock, not yet sure about MetRock.”

“Ah, I heard all three had some insane line-ups this year.”

“ _Yes,”_ Kasamatsu drawled in joy. “Especially Summer Sonic.”

“I see. I see.” Aiba nodded. “But getting back on track, watching your newest music video, I realized that your choreography was really tricky. As a matter of fact, all your choreographies are difficult. How long does it take for you to get it all right?”

“Well, it takes some weeks, I can’t really tell the exact amount.” Kuroko answered. “But because of our work ethic —”

“And your demonic father.” The others mumbled.

“—we get the job done quickly.”

Of course, Aiba heard the “demonic father” part and raised an eyebrow at it. He was curious, so he asked, “What demonic father?”

“Soracchi’s father is our main choreographer and dance instructor.” Kise said. “But he’s like a perfectionist so he tends to kill us off to get our routines right.”

“Wow. How do you feel about that?”

“It’s a good thing. Although he’s the demon that Kenji-san summoned from hell, without him, I doubt we’d be as good as we are now in dancing.”

The others nodded in agreement. Aiba wanted to bust with laughter, given their rather…descriptive words, but he kept it all in.

“We all know that in the early years of their careers, groups live together in a dorm. Tell me, what’s your experience like?”

“Annoying because of this thing.” Kagami said, jabbing a thumb in Kise’s direction.

“Thing?! You animal, who’re you calling a thing!?”

Aiba drew back at the sudden outburst.

“You of course! The moment you see a speck of dust, you’re freaking out! And pestering us to use all sorts of products is annoying! Have you realized that there is a lack of space in our bathroom cupboard because of the shampoos and moisturizers and shit! Huh?!”

“It’s in your best interest, you fool!”

“As you can see, living with those two is quite taxing. They fight and quarrel everyday over the simplest of things.” Kasamatsu sighed. “But, it’s fun. And I’m used to it as well.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m used to the fights because I have two younger brothers.”

“Oh.” Aiba looked to Takao and Kuroko and asked, “What about you two? How are taking this “living with four other strangers” experience?”

“Like Yu-chan, I think it’s fun! And I have a younger sister so I know what it’s like to live with another person close to your age.”

“I like it.” Kuroko said with a small smile. “Watching Taiga-kun and Sunn-kun argue like a cat and dog is most amusing.”

Aiba couldn’t help but laugh. These boys were killing him. “Is it that Sunn-kun and Taiga-kun don’t get along?”

There was a pause.

“We do get along, but it’s just…” Kagami started. “Sometimes, Sunn gets a little bit too much. Like I said before, he freaks out when he sees dust. He’s like a clean freak and a nagging mother who’ll pester me —us to clean our room and the house. But he’s pretty cool, minus his drama queen like behaviour.”

“I’m not a drama queen.” Kise huffed. “But Taigacchi is an amazing cook! His cooking is of the housewife level. And nothing can beat a housewife’s cooking, ne?”

“You little sh—!” Kagami stopped himself from completing the word. “I don’t even know if you’re praising me or calling me a housewife.” He snarled.

A smile appeared on Aiba’s lips. He loved how honest these boys were, although he was wondering how their company could allow them to talk with such freedom. But he liked it, as the other groups he’s interviewed were stiff and their answers were so structured, sometimes he feels like he’s talking to robots.

So Aiba headed into the second part of the interview. He looked at Kasamatsu and started; “Now it’s for the individual questions. Are you ready?”

“Hai.” Kasamatsu and the others nodded.

“Great!” Aiba hummed. “So Yuki-kun, what’s it like being the leader of Catal Rhythm?”

“Ah, it’s not as pressuring as I thought it would be. Probably because we’ve just started and things aren’t so hectic as yet, but compared to what other leaders have said, it’s not that bad.”

“Alright. You’re known as the gentleman of the group…” cue the dreadful glare from Kasamatsu to Kise, “…so what would be your ideal type of girl?”

“I like a girl who’s serious. One that knows what she wants and works hard to get it.”

“Ah, I see. If you were jealous of one member, who would it be and why?”

“Sunn. Because he gets the routines with one look.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’s a super-fast learner.”

“Oh.” Aiba nodded, but then he turned to Kagami for his questions. “So, Taiga-kun, what’s being the rapper like?”

“It’s pretty fun.” The tiger responded. “I never saw myself as a singer much, plus, I prefer to rap instead because it’s easier than and not as technical as singing is.”

“Ah…but in your genre, rappers tend to get the least lines. Don’t you ever have any greed in taking on more parts?”

“No.” Kagami said while shaking his head. “We’ve all been given roles and since we do it right, I don’t need to feel that way. My rap parts are only able to be done by me so I do them to the best of my abilities because I sure as hell can’t do what Sunn does.”

“I see, I noticed that you’ve always had a necklace with that ring in it. Is it symbolic or…?”

“It was given to me by my Aniki when I was in America. So it’s like a memento from him. So yes, it is symbolic of the bond that we share.”

“That’s nice. What is your ideal type of girl?”

“An elegant girl. And one who can cook.” Kagami responded. “If she can’t cook, I can’t enter a relationship with her.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

“My dream date is cooking a good meal with a pretty girl of my dreams. If she can’t do that, I can’t experience my dream, now can I?”

“Well said.”

Aiba nodded. “So, Sunn-kun —”

“Hai!” Kise chirped, quite eager.

“Being the main vocalist means that you have the most challenging parts in every song that your group does. Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed by this?”

“Yes!” Kise answered with a laugh. “I like doing what I’m doing, but Nobu-san is pretty strict when it comes onto singing, so there was this one time when we were recording Lucifer, and Nobu-san said to me, “ _you’re singing better today, let’s do it all over_ ”. So we started from the very beginning, and after a while, I completely snapped and dragged Senpai with me to the bathroom and bawled my eyes out. Then he knocked on the door asking, “ _are you okay?_ ” and I replied, “ _No!_ ”, quite strongly too. For the first time, I felt so frustrated. We kept doing it over and over because Nobu-san wanted it to be perfect.” He then mumbled, “Our dream team is filled with nothing but crazy perfectionists.”

The others roared with laughter.

“It’s true. He whined relentlessly to me: “ _I can’t sing anymore! My throat hurts, my back hurts, everything hurts. I’m tired Senpai. You take my lines instead”_.” Kasamatsu imitated the blond surprisingly well. “When he was done, my shirt was soaked with tears and snot.”

“We recorded Lucifer over what? Three days, was it?” Kuroko joined in. “Sunn-kun was really…not at his best then.”

“For real, it was the first time that I saw him snap like that.” Kagami added. “I thought he was just being his usual drama queen self.”

“Well, it was not his fault. We have vocal training, foreign language, song composition, dance practice on top of our normal school lives. Ryou-chan was beat. We all were.”

“Woah,” Aiba said, totally shocked at this revelation. Typically, an idol wouldn’t have answered in such a manner. Through Aiba’s past experiences, he had expected an answer such as “No, because I love what I do” or something positive. But this, this was showing that behind the smiles and awesome choreography, idols are humans too that do get frustrated and tired.

Getting back on track, he asked, “In other groups, it’s their main vocalists who writes the lyrics to their songs, is it the same in your case?”  Aiba asked.

“Nope!” Kise answered quickly forming an “X” with both his hands. “I’ve written a song once for song composition class, and honestly, I’m not going back down that road ever again.”

“Oh. So who writes your songs?”

“A&R.”

“Although Kasa—I mean Yuki has some wicked song writing skills.” Kagami said. “He’s frightening.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Guys!” Kasamatsu shouted in an attempt for them to stop but went ignored.

 “So why doesn’t he write your songs then?”

“The songs I write aren’t for our type of music. Choreography can’t be added to them and for five persons to sing them…” he trailed off, “…it just wouldn’t fit.”

“I see.” He nodded and refocused back to Kise. “Last question, what is your ideal type of girl?”

“One that won’t tie me down.” Kise answered. “I want a girl who’s independent and has her own thing going on because I’m a busy guy. One that won’t nag me every time we spend together about lonely she is or something.”

“Oh. I see.” Aiba said with slight shock. He hadn’t anticipated that response. He then turned onto Kuroko, but he couldn’t find him. Seeing the distress, Kagami grabbed Kuroko’s hair and pulled him closer, ignoring the “That hurts Kagami-kun” coming from the boy.

“Ah, Sora-kun, just how elusive are you?” he joked. “So, like the others, I want to know how it is like being the main dancer of the group.”

“Fun.”

“That’s it?”

“Hai.”

“Ah, okay, so do you get the dance moves quickest out of everyone?”

“No. Sunn-kun. I’m usually the second one to do so.”

“Okay,” Aiba was quite shocked at his short responses. “You seem to be a man of few words. Do you not talk much?”

“I am.” Kuroko said. “I’m more of the observing type.”

“Oh I see.”

“What would be your ideal type of girl?”

“One that’s gentle.”

With a nod, he looked to Takao, “So it’s your turn.”

“Yup!”

“You can easily be seen as the playful troublemaker of the group. Is that how you are in real life?”

Takao laughed. “Which is it guys?” he asked his bandmates.

“He is.” Kasamatsu said with a glare. “Both him and Sunn. I’m still peeved about that radio guesting we did.”

“Aww come on, Senpai, it was the truth.”

“That the entire world didn’t need to know yet!”

“Hmm? What’s this?” Takao said as he leaned on the table.

Seeing that things may lead to something else, Aiba quickly stepped in and said, “Sirs, please remember that the interview hasn’t finished.”

“Oh sorry.” The boys said.

“So, Taka-kun, you said that your eyes can see a thousand miles away, how true is that?”

“Well, I can’t see a thousand miles. But it’s just that on a court—ow!” he was kicked underneath the table by an inconspicuous Kasamatsu. The look he received indicated that he should be wary of what he was saying.

“I have really good eyesight.” The hawk-eyed boy said as his final answer.

Aiba was concerned about this, as it was obvious that “Taka” was answering the question completely different, but whatever happened, made him change his answer.

“Right, so like the others, what is your ideal type of girl?”

“One that’s positive. I’d hate a girl if she’s all pessimistic and mean.”

“I see.” Aiba said as he leaned back and exhaled. “Thank you for your time, gentlemen, this interview was… _different._ I liked that.”

“You’re welcome!” the five chirped.

“And thank you for having us.” Kise added.

After, to their joy, Aiba really did treat them to something from the restaurant, Kasamatsu having Kise and Kagami under a leash so as to not burn the man’s pocket. If he ever knew how much they eat, he’d die from a heart attack.

_xxxx_

When they were ready to leave, they headed back to Kenji who had been waiting in the van. Seeing how their faces were beaming and oozing with joy, Kenji realized that the interview went well. But, he still felt like asking, “So how did it go?”

“It was fun! Awesome!” Takao and Kise chirped.

“Yeah, it was alright.” Kasamatsu said. “It felt more like a conversation than an interview.” He added with a mumble, “Thank God.”

But then, reality dawned on them. When the issue of the magazine with their interview is published, Kenji and their dream team will read it. Kenji will see what they said about him summoning Hikaru from hell to kill them off. Kenji will definitely kill them.

“I think we should start planning our escape route.” Takao said underneath his breath but loud enough for everyone else (minus Kenji) to hear.

“Agreed.”

“What was that boys?”

“The weather is nice!”

After close to an hour of driving, Kenji entered the parking lot for the “Euphoria”, confused and clueless as to why his boys would want to be dropped off here. They wouldn’t tell him, and only replied that it was a secret they’ll tell him later on. They entered through the back door of the establishment, not wanting anyone to see them going through the front.

Although no one knew what they looked like at the moment, in the future they surely will. And in this industry, something from the past always comes back to bite one in the ass.

Quickly they navigated the room in which they practiced with their instruments, and stumbled upon Makio randomly playing beats on his drums. He too was shocked to see them there, as they hadn’t informed him prior that they were coming.

“Hey Ma-chan!” Takao chirped as he sauntered over to his Rhythm guitar.

 With a gentle smile, Makio started, “Okay, so before we get anything done,” he looked to Kuroko, “Your dad dropped _that_ off earlier today.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and pointed to an area in the room. There, was a small black bench, and nestled on the seat was a pair of headphones and what seemed to be sustain pedals. Before it, was a keyboard stand and on top of it was a long metallic road case.

“Hey…is that Tetsu-chan’s keyboard?” Takao asked as he gawked at the thing. “The case looks like Yu-chan’s guitar cases.”

Kasamatsu laughed. “It is. It’s made by the same company.”

“Oh man! It’s got wheels too!” Kise chirped as he examined the case. “That means we can carry it around!”

“Yes, Kise. It’s a flight/road case.”

“Alright, now that we’ve established that Kuroko got his keyboard…” Makio said with folded arms to get their attention. “…tell me, what the hell are you five doing here?”

“To practice!”

“Practice what? Have a song you want to try out?”

“No…”

Makio then looked to Kasamatsu. He’s heard the boy play the guitar before and he was beyond impressed. Add to that, Takao told him that Kasamatsu was the one teaching _both_ him and Kagami how to play their respective instruments.

“Alright, I have a song in mind.” The drummer grinned deviously at them. “Wanna hear it?”

“Of course!” everyone but Kasamatsu chirped. The latter folded his arms and nodded approvingly with a calm look on his face. He was pretty confident in his skills, being that no matter what Makio threw at them, he knew he’d be able to destroy it.

“Okay, so here’s it.” Makio said as he took out his phone and played the song, the boys listening attentively.

_xxxx_

Aiba returned to his workplace, but as soon as he entered the office and sat at his desk, his fellow (and curious) co-workers attacked him.

“So how was it?” one asked. His desk was right next to Aiba’s. As a matter of fact, the desks were all in a linear set-up, resembling a long table with chairs on either side. There was only one desk at the top which was for their boss, the Managing Editor.

“It was really refreshing. The boys were pretty fun too.”

“Hoh? Do tell.” A high pitched voice said from behind Aiba. She was the Managing Editor —Serizawa-san, who had just walked in through the door.

Aiba laughed. “It’s best if you heard.” He pulled out his recorder from his bag and played it for the entire team to hear. When it was done, everyone had looks of shock and amusement on their faces.

“It’s going to be tough to write the appropriate parts. These boys are just…”

“What do you mean?” Serizawa asked. “This is gold. We’re going to publish all of it.”

“Eh?!” everyone in the office said in unison.

Serizawa grinned deviously. “ _Think_ about it. Japan’s idol industry is pretty cheesy, and fake so to speak. Fans are only exposed to the “good” side of their idols. They never know the hardships their idols face, all they see are pretty faces with smiles while behaving cute.” She sighed. “But these boys, Catal Rhythm, are different. I think we can use them to wake up the entire nation to see the other side of idols.”

“Aihara might sue us.” One worker said with a sigh.

“Please, I doubt he’d do it. Given what happened on Juuzou’s radio show, there’s no way he’d attack us for this.”

“Plus, I made sure to send the list of questions that I planned to ask. They should have reviewed their answers.” Aiba nodded. “So I was pretty shocked to hear some of these responses.”

“All the better.” Serizawa smiled as she made her way to her desk. “So men and women, we’ve got work to do!”

“Still, I wonder what their real names are. And they were so close in revealing it too.” Another worker said.

“There’s no way we can figure that out.” Joined another. “I mean “Taiga” is the only who we can say that’s probably his given name in real life. But for “Yuki”, the possibilities are endless —Hiroyuki, Hideyuki, Katsuyuki, Takayuki, Yoriyuki, Masayuki…”

“There’s even Yukio, Yukito, Yukinori…” Aiba said with a sigh. “…there’s so many names out there with “yuki” it’s frightening.”

“Even “Taka”. He could be anything. Takahiro, Hirotaka, Masataka…the list is endless like Yuki.”

“Trying to figure out their names isn’t our business. Focus on your work.” Serizawa said sternly. “We can brainstorm that later with more information.”

“Yes Ma’am!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	29. I am Your Senpai

 

…

 

“Man, I feel like my hands are falling off.” Kise whined as he plopped himself into the sofa. “Makicchi is evil.”

“Please,” Kasamatsu said as he rolled his eyes. “Apparently, you haven’t heard the insane guitar solo I had to play.”

“But Senpai, you’re better off than the rest of us.” Kise countered. “You _know_ how to play your instrument. It’s second nature for you, isn’t it?”

Kasamatsu faltered. “I…” he trailed off, unable to counter. “…fine.”

“So, it kinda shows how much work we’ve got to do.” Kagami sighed.

“Yup! A whole lot!” Takao chirped. “But it’ll all be worth it at the end when we début as Alter-Ego!”

“You know, I wonder how Kasamatsu-senpai will perform as a frontman.” Kuroko said, tapping his chin in thought. “When I watched some of the lives, I can’t see Kasamatsu-senpai screaming his throat out and behaving like _those_ frontmen.”

Kasamatsu smiled knowingly. “Well, only time will tell.”

When all four boys saw the expression on the captain’s face, they noticed that there was something behind it. Could it be that there was a side to Kasamatsu that they’ve yet to see?

“But anyway, at the moment, we have bigger fishes to fry.” Takao sighed as he opened a textbook that was nestled on the coffee table before them. “Like that game show which has the capability of making us look like idiots on national TV.”

“Right. So let’s get cracking!” Kise grinned. “I don’t want to seem dunce when I’m not.”

_xxxx_

Inside the office was  quiet, four young men stood facing and older male who sat behind a desk. He was dressed formally, the only thing missing was his jacket. He was the President of Cinq —Asahi Masataka.

“Boys, how do you feel about going on a quiz show?” Masataka asked. But the tone he used was more of a command than a question.

Osamu snorted. “I don’t have time for that.”

“Yeah, plus, I’m still pretty upset about MusicStock.” Takuma grumbled. “I still hate Catal Rhythm for stealing our thunder.”

“Well, this could be a chance to take revenge.” The President smiled. Oda-san, who had come in after the boys, started to fret. This would not end well for the boys of Aihara.

“How?” the four asked.

“You go on this game show and put them to shame.”

The four stilled.

“But…it’s a quiz show. We’ll look like dunces!”

Oda-san, who was standing behind him rolled his eyes. _Well, you are dunces anyway._

Wordlessly, he pushed an envelope to the boys which Osamu opened. When he saw the contents, a smile appeared on his face.

“What is it?” Enya asked, tipping to look at the documents.

Without replying to the shorter male first, Osamu looked to Masataka and said, "We'll do it."

_xxxx_

At long last, the day of the quiz show came. Catal Rhythm were both nervous and fired up, but most importantly, they wanted to get this over with. Neither of the boys were fond of going on TV to do games, but one of this nature could spell their end if they messed up.

After they had gotten dressed and eat breakfast, they left home, and during the two hour long drive, they couldn't keep still. Kise and Takao as usual belted out their favourite songs, Kuroko read his novel, Kagami was watching a video on his phone, and Kasamatsu was listening to music.

Kenji chuckled at their behaviour but there was a part of him that was worried. At the outset, when Kiyotaka told them that Catal Rhythm were invited to a quiz show, they had all agreed to let the boys go. But then, they found out that N.O.T.E. were added to the list as well. To Kenji and the rest of the dream team, having their boys in the space as N.O.T.E. was a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore, it wasn't as though they could have cancelled, when Kenji saw how his boys were putting a lot of effort into studying, he couldn't let their efforts go to waste. He just prayed that he made the right decision.

Soon, they've reached the studio where it'll be held — _Kanagawa Broadcasting Station._

“Okay, so remember, just go out there and do your best.” Kenji said to his boys before they exited the van.

“Hai!” Kise and Takao perked up, answering for the rest.

So the six exited the van and were led inside the studio, where they saw the other participants in waiting. The set was pretty normal —on a grand stage were two long tables, seemingly where the participants would be standing during their battle. They faced the audience seating, and at this point, Catal Rhythm had gotten even more nervous. But one thing they were glad for, they wore their dark glasses, so that no one could see their faces.

To the left of the stage was a wooden pulpit, where the quizmaster will be, in full view of both participating teams and studio audience. However, above the audience was a projector screen, in case the participants got a question which required them to view an image.

But that said, the studio was noisy and busy.

The five boys could see different groups nervously reading flash cards, trying their best to calm themselves down, the camera crew and stage crew running about to get everything in order. The audience weren't allowed inside as yet, but that was the least of their concerns.

In trying to find a suitable place, Catal Rhythm stumbled upon N.O.T.E., who they didn't know was going to be here. Thank God they weren't in such a close range to actually bump into each other, but they were still within eye shot.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Kagami hissed in anger.

"Now that they're here, I want this to be over and done with." Takao said bitterly. "And honestly, I hope we never see them again after this."

"Agreed." the others mumbled out.

But soon, they were guided to the lodging area by a staff member where all the other groups were supposed to be as well. However, not everyone had arrived as yet, so it was just Catal Rhythm and another all male group —F.A.T.E.

"Hello," the five from Aihara greeted.

The boys from F.A.T.E. looked up to meet their gazes, but they all wore a sour expression. Catal Rhythm drew back, silently praying that they hadn't unknowingly stumbled upon _another_ bunch of assholes.

But luckily, F.A.T.E's expressions softened and they replied with a "hello" as well.

"Sorry about that, we're just miserable that N.O.T.E's here too." the tallest of the bunch said when Catal Rhythm sat down. "They sick my stomach." he then spat with the others nodding in agreement.

"They sick everyone's stomach." Kagami grumbled out.

"Well, let's just hope that today runs smoothly, right?" another joined in.

"Pfft." Kise said. "With N.O.T.E., nothing will ever run smoothly."

"That's true. But enough of them, who are you guys? I don't remember seeing your faces any at all on TV." the tall one said again. "I'm Arata, by the way."

"Oh." Takao said, realizing that they had taken off their glasses and was now barefaced before the other group. "We're Catal Rhythm."

F.A.T.E's eyes widened. "You're the ones who nearly killed yourselves!"

"Eh? When?!" Kagami asked. Kuroko looked up from his novel with a worried gaze.

"At MusicStock when you entered the crowd." Arata answered. "How is that _not_ classified as suicidal?"

"Ah, well, we had rehearsed something but then N.O.T.E changed their choreography so we had to do that to not look like shit." Kise replied. "It was either that, or fading away to the side or someshit."

"Eww. You'd look tacky if you did that." another —Ryuji joined with a cringe. "But once again, N.O.T.E or rather a group from Cinq strikes." He rolled his eyes with disgust, "Can't we just deep-six them one of these days?"

"It's impossible unless we enlist the help of some Yakuza or something. No crime is perfect, you know?" Arata sighed with disappointment.

"Or you have superpowers and can strike from a distance." another —Masato pitched in.

Catal Rhythm just sat there and watched as F.A.T.E went through the different ways of hopefully killing N.O.T.E without leaving any evidence. It was then that the boys from Aihara realized how hated N.O.T.E and by extension, idols from Cinq were.

But later, the other participating groups entered the room and various conversations were held. Chatter and laughter were abundant, Kise had the most attraction given that some of the idols recognized his face from the posters and magazines he's been on. Kagami, Takao and Kasamatsu were hounded as well, as another group —Digital Club, were actually fans of basketball and often times watched the high school tournaments.

And of course, Kagami would drag in Kuroko, and then all hell broke loose. As usual, no one noticed him which caused the shrieks, and screams and the "almost got heart attack" to occur.

Soon enough, it was time for them to head out onto the stage at the start of the show. So in good faith, all the groups wished each other good luck; although they knew that they were battling for second place as with N.O.T.E here, no doubt, they'd be given first by illegal means.

 ...

The _Challenge_ is a quiz show that airs weekly that tests the intelligence or stupidity of Japan’s celebrities. Although it's something to be taken seriously, there were many comical moments which usually leaves the audience and viewers across the country cracking up with laughter.

“Good day everyone! Yet another thrilling quiz show awaits! This time we’ve got eight teams ready to entertain you all!” MC started with enthusiasm to get everyone hyped up. He introduced the groups one by one, and as such, for each name called, the group made a step forward and greeted the audience and those who were watching at home. 

That said, Catal Rhythm took the safest route, when they were called, they simply bowed in unison and waved when they straightened. They weren't going to be flashy like the other groups.

“So let the first match begin!”

At this, Catal Rhythm and the other six teams left off the set and headed to the lodging room while N.O.T.E and F.A.T.E. battled it out. Of course, the five boys didn’t care about the group from Cinq, but since they had nothing better to do, they decided to watch and maybe pick up on some tactics to use when answering.

But, being perceptive as they are, Kasamatsu and Kuroko noticed something about N.O.T.E.

“Is it just me, or is F.A.T.E.’s buzzer not working properly?” Kuroko asked.

“It isn’t working.” The captain replied with folded arms. “I don’t know why they’re doing this, but it pisses me off to no end.”

“Agreed.” Kuroko mumbled.

The other three heard their conversation and their faces twisted with disgust immediately. It reminded Kagami and Kuroko of their match against Kirisaki Daiichi in some sense, but either way, they weren’t amused.

Even the other groups could see it.

“If I had known a group from Cinq was going to be here, I would have _never_ allowed us to come.” A tall young man hissed in bitterness. He was Dan, the Leader for a five-man group called “Digital Club”. “I mean, it’s obvious that they’re giving N.O.T.E the upper hand!”

“I can’t believe this! It’s obvious F.A.T.E.’s buzzer isn’t working, why the fuck don’t they do something about it?!” another screeched. She was the main dancer of an all girl group —Risa. “I bet the producer and everyone was paid off by Cinq.”

“As usual.” Dan said with an eye roll. “I don’t why I’m surprised. I should have known.”

Catal Rhythm didn’t say anything. For once, Kise and Takao didn’t know who these groups were in detail. Sure, they knew their groups’ names, and maybe a song or two, but they haven’t followed them up like they did with Yume or Tensei or any of their other favourites.

And so the matches continued, ultimately, with a faulty buzzer or the whatnot, F.A.T.E. lost to N.O.T.E. The next match was against the girl group "Dress Code" and another four male group "Kingz". Their match went on pretty smoothly, but sadly Kingz lost to Dress Code in a pretty close battle.

But now, it was Catal Rhythm's turn to head out. When both groups had assembled on the stage, due to the set up, Catal Rhythm entered from the right while the other group —Shockwave, entered from the left.

“Now, the third match will be between Catal Rhythm and Shockwave!” the MC said, “Well then, let’s get started! Question 1!”

 _« History._ _In which year was the new constitution promulgated by which the Emperor of Japan lost his political power and became the Symbol of the State and Unity of the People? »_

Kise swiftly pressed his buzzer and whispered to the others, before they all answered, “1946!”

_« Correct! »_

The other four high-fived Kise, yet another thing stemming from their habits in basketball. And as much as the blond was an idiot in first year, he was strangely good in History. Coupled with Kenji's threat this year, he had sharpened his abilities.

But without hitch, the second question was asked, _« Question 2 —Math._ _What do the numbers 16, 25 and 36 have in common? »_

Kasamatsu pressed his buzzer the instant the quizmaster finished the sentence. Once again, the five huddled up and when Kasamatsu told them the answer, they all gave out, “they’re all square numbers!”

_« Correct! »_

And like with Kise, Kasamatsu was given high-fives from the others.

_“Catal Rhythm is on a roll here!”_

_« Question 3: In Chemistry, the nucleus of an atom contains… »_

“Protons and neutrons!” This time, Shockwave had beaten them to this, but either way, Catal Rhythm didn’t mind. They still had seven more questions to go.

_“Oh and Shockwave is quick to answer this time!”_

_« Question 4: Translate to English: “Konnichiwa, boku wa Hiroto-desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu”. »_

Kagami slammed his hand on the buzzer so hard that the others thought he may have broken it.

“Hello, I’m Hiroto. Pleased to meet you.” Kagami answered swiftly. The others didn’t join in like usual because Kagami’s pronunciation is perfect while theirs, especially the L’s, aren’t.

_« Correct! »_

_“Such a perfect pronunciation from Taiga-san! He sounds like a native!”_ the MC screeched to hype up the crowd even more.

“Are you going to break it, huh?!” Kasamatsu hissed to Kagami. “Look, this isn’t a basketball court ―”

“Or Kaijou.” Kuroko added, remembering Seirin’s first practice match last year.

“—so handle with care!” Kasamatsu finished as though he wasn’t interrupted. “You don’t know how much one of these things cost!”

“Sorry, I was just excited, I guess.” Kagami shrugged.

« _Question 5: Pop Culture. Complete the lyrics — »_ Here, they played an audio clip and as soon as Kise and Takao heard it, they pressed the buzzer and sang out loud:

“I came in like a wrecking ball!" Kise sang while turning to Takao. 

"I never hit so hard in love." Takao added, placing the back of his hand to his forehead and making a dramatic expression. He had turned to Kise as well.

"All I wanted was to break your walls!" Kise added yet again.

"All you ever did was break me!” This time, the two sang in perfect harmony, holding each other on their shoulders. Their expressions were rather...dramatic, seeming as though they truly had been hurt in love or something.

Kuroko inched away from the two, going closer to Kagami, while Kasamatsu looked rather annoyed. Their “inner fangirls” as they’d put it was really something he will _never_ get used to.

_« Correct! »_

_“Well, it seems that Sunn-san and Taka-san are a passionate duo!”_ The MC joked. _"You broke each other, huh?"_

_« Question 6: General Knowledge. What is the capital of Luxembourg? »_

“Luxembourg City!” Shockwave responded. However, the boys from Aihara hadn’t budged as they didn’t know the answer.

_« Correct! »_

_« Question 7: General Knowledge. Along with Luxembourg City, name the other two capitals of the European Union. »_

Shockwave pressed the buzzer. “Brussels and Strasbourg!”

_« Correct! »_

_“Shockwave will not be ruled out!”_

_« Question 8: Literature. From which Shakespeare book did this quote come from? “The course of true love never did run smooth”. »_

Kuroko pressed the buzzer and they all huddled up again. When he shared the answer, they all answered:

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream!”

_« Correct! »_

_« Question 9: Sports. Are the balls used in women’s and men’s basketball the same size? »_

Takao pressed the buzzer. “No, women’s balls are smaller.” The five gave out. Even Takao was the one who pressed it, they all knew the answer.

_« Correct! »_

_“Looks like Catal Rhythm are gonna take this one!”_

_« Question 10: History. What were the early rulers of Japan called? »_

“Shoguns!” Catal Rhythm screeched when they pressed their buzzer.

_« Correct! »_

_“And Catal Rhythm are the winners! They move on to the next round!”_

“Yosha!” Kagami shouted. The others high-fiving each other as they’ve been doing throughout the match. It made the audience get an idea of their camaraderie, their closeness with each other.

Soon, they left off the set and headed back to the lodging room, while the final match of the round was being played. However, before they could return to the room, they saw Dress Code who had played earlier and won beckon to them.

“Don’t go in there. N.O.T.E.’s in there and it’s stifling.” Risa said with disgust. “Trust me; you don’t want to be in there.”

“Ah…right.” Kise nodded. The five followed the older woman to a balcony, which was overlooking the back car park. The eliminated teams were seated in the crowd as was instructed so it was just Catal Rhythm and Dress Code. Kasamatsu thanked the heavens for Kise and Takao's chatty nature, because at the moment, he was a nervous wreck.

It puzzled him as to why he's able to speak to Reiko with ease — _although that ball night he was still nervous—_ but every other girl, he didn't have the courage to even look them in the eye. And he knew it wasn't because Reiko was Kise's sister, because although she looked like her little brother, there were blatant differences...

...Like the fat in her round cheeks...

...or the way her eyes widen with amusement...

...or the way she smiles and laughs...

...the way she walks with such elegance...

...the way she —

"Oh God." Kasamatsu gasped as he shook his head the rid the thoughts. He grabbed the fabric at his chest and panted heavily, causing his fellow bandmates to worry.

"Are you alright?" Risa asked as she leaned over to look around Kise.

"Ah yeah, I just..." the captain started. "...remembered something." his face was red, and the troublemakers —Kise and Takao had mischievous grins on their faces. The Blue Elite was in for hell the moment they got back into their van.

Turning to the group, he then said, "I'm going to watch the other matches, and probably tell the others where you guys are." Was his excuse.

"Oh, okay." Kagami nodded.

But Kuroko, being the observant shit that he is, turned to look at Takao and said, "we're going to get to the bottom of this."

"I have a feeling of what it is already~" he said in a sing-song voice. "And it's probably his new text-buddy who we all know as Reiko~" he added, "I mean, you saw how _red_ his face was right? Only one person can do that..."

"You're evil." Kagami chuckled.

"Nope. Just perceptive." the two boys gave out.

And true to his word, Kasamatsu did watch the last remaining match between Digital Club and Amour. The match was pretty funny, being that both teams sometimes didn't know the answer but thought they did. The answers that were given were hilarious, coupled with the teams look of disbelief when they got it wrong.

After the match concluded, they went to a commercial break, and during this time, the teams were told when they were going to play. Yet again, N.O.T.E were going to play first against Dress Code and then Catal Rhythm against Digital Club after those two matches would be the final.

When they returned from the commercial break, the quiz continued, this time Catal Rhythm and Digital Club had to wait in the wings instead of the lodging room. They watched with horror as Dress Code lost to N.O.T.E, the boys weren't even waiting for the quizmaster to finish reading the question.

"It's like they already knew what was coming." Dan said with gritted teeth. "Fucking cheats." he seethed.

The match blew off rather quickly, given that the quizmaster hadn't needed to read out the questions in its entirety. That meant, it was now Catal Rhythm's turn.

 _"Alright! Let's go! Question 1!"_ The MC prompted.

The match started with normalcy, as they neither of the two teams felt as though they were fighting each other. As soon as a question was thrown out, both teams pressed their buzzer, thinking that they knew the answer.

At about the sixth question, due to the length of it, Kise had accidentally pressed their buzzer, when neither of them knew the answer. And given their personalities, they ended up arguing before they even attempted the question. The MC had to remind them that the clock was ticking, so quickly, Kuroko had said:

"Ice."

Everyone roared with laughter.

The question had been _"give a brief explanation of the term "hard water"."_

Needless to say, they got the question wrong, but it was a good laugh for everyone. But at the same time, Kagami had given out, "But isn't "hard water" ice?"

"Apparently not." Kise shrugged.

"Hard water is when water has a high mineral content, guys." Dan said as he came out of his laughing fit. But what made it extremely funny was Kuroko's serious tone. He sounded confident in his answer, as though no one could tell him that hard water wasn't ice.

"But that doesn't make sense!" Kise said. "Isn't ice hard?"

"Ice is _frozen water._ It's solid, Sunn." Dan reasoned.

"All solids are hard." Takao joined in. "Ice is solid, therefore ice is hard." 

"Well..." Dan couldn't really refute Takao deductive reasoning.

"You needn't to say anymore." Kise grinned, changing his style of speech to get his point across. "And as such, ice is "hard water"."

The crowd was stunned. Catal Rhythm were what many dub "wrong and strong". It was amazing, seeing them fighting out the reason, and trying to see how they could've gotten the answer incorrect.

Couple minutes later everything went back on track, luckily for Catal Rhythm, they hadn't encountered another situation like that again, and ended up winning the match. It was a close one with Digital Club, having both teams tied on five points each and having to go into a tie breaker.

But since Catal Rhythm won, that meant, they had to face N.O.T.E. For once, they've never been so down about winning. It was better if they had lost instead, that way, they wouldn't be burning with anger at the moment.

Like, with prior matches, there was a commercial break to get everything in order for the final match. Backstage, Catal Rhythm were preparing to out on the stage once they had been given the signal. A part of them were pretty anxious, as they had no idea what trickery N.O.T.E has up their sleeves.

“Yuki-san?” a voice called from behind them.

Hearing his stage name, Kasamatsu turned around and asked, “Hai?”

“Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you won’t be going on stage.”

 _“What?”_ The other four hissed, scaring the poor backstage crew member.

“To ensure fairness, one of you will be removed so that it would be four vs. four.”

“But why Senpai?!” Kagami roared and almost grabbed her by the collar. “Why not me or someone else?!”

“Yeah!” Kise joined in. “Senpai is the only third year here! N.O.T.E has a third year, and a university student with them! It’ll be unfair to us!”

The crew member shrugged. “That’s what I was told.”

“I’ll leave in Senpai’s place.” Kagami said. “Can’t we do that?”

She shook her head. “If you do, you’ll be disqualified.”

The five drew back in shock and knowing what his friends were like, Kasamatsu intervened. “Alright. I’ll stay here.” But obviously, he didn't want to. He could smell N.O.T.E's curses at work.

“But —!” the others tried to argue.

“Just go out there and show them what you’re made of. I don’t want our hard work to go down the drain _just because…”_ He trailed off but the others got his message.

And with that, Kasamatsu remained backstage, while the others headed out onto the stage. But their faces were darkened with rage. As it is, no one can tell them otherwise that this wasn’t a plot by N.O.T.E. While they understood that it wouldn't be fair to have five vs. four, but removing Kasamatsu from the team isn't fair to _them._

 _“And now we’ve reached the final!”_ the MC started. _“We have these two fiery teams —Catal Rhythm and N.O.T.E! Who will win!?”_ MC then continued when the audience noticed that there were only four for Catal Rhythm. _“But first, in order to ensure fairness, Catal Rhythm was reduced to four. So onto Question 1!”_

_« Chemistry. What is the density of carbon dioxide at STP? »_

“What the hell is that?” Kise gasped.

“0.00196 g/ml.” Osamu of N.O.T.E answered quickly.

“Whatever, let’s get it back.” Kagami snarled.

_« Question 2: Who is the father of the Social Conflict Theory? »_

“Karl Marx.” Takuma answered as soon as he pressed his buzzer.

"What's social conflict theory?!" Takao nearly screeched.

_« Question 3: Biology. What are the three main shapes of bacteria? »_

“Round, rod-shaped and spiral.” Nobuhiro answered.

“What’s happening?” Kuroko asked in complete shock. None of these questions, neither of them knew the answer. Not because they didn’t study these subjects in school, but these were questions of a higher level than they.

Meanwhile, backstage, Kasamatsu was livid.

After the third question, the captain realized what was going on...and he needed to get his boys out of there.

“Hey! Can’t you do something about this!?” He asked a nearby worker. “These questions aren’t for second years like them! Do something! Get them out of there!” he nearly screeched like Kise.

“I can’t. I’m just a stage manager.” The male replied.

“Shit!” The captain hissed. But time was of the essence, and Kasamatsu was determined to not let his boys get humiliated any further. He whipped out his phone to message to Kenji, but he heard the manager's voice in the distance shouting —barking out inaudible words. Kasamatsu figured that Kenji had noticed what was happening and was trying to stop it.

So, seeing that Kenji was backstage, Kasamatsu decided to handle things out there...

 _« Question 6:_ _Math. When two straight lines 3x — (a — 3)y—6=0 and (a+1)x + y — 1 = 0 are vertical to each other then the fixed number a equals...? »  
_

Catal Rhythm's buzzer was pressed.

"Five."

Everyone stopped. Kasamatsu was the one who answered it and even though the answer was correct, the quizmaster was stunned.

"You can't be asking these questions." Kasamatsu started, his voice was actually calm. "These are third year and higher, my boys are only second years. Add to that, we're in June. School hasn't reopened for a proper two months yet. How would they know these things?"

"Yuki-san, you shouldn't be —"

" _You_ shouldn't be doing this." Kasamatsu replied, cutting the MC off. "Backstage they told me I couldn't go on because five against four is unfair, but look at what you've done." he hissed. "They clearly have the advantage because they have a third year and a university student present."

The audience roused up at Kasamatsu's statements, as for Kenji, he had heard the commotion and headed to the wings to see the situation unfolding.

Trying to keep his calm, the MC asked, "What are you implying Yuki-san?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm _saying_ that asking these questions is unfair to my boys. Do something about it."

"But it isn't our fault that your teammates can't answer."

"But it  _is_ your fault for taking _me_ out, the only one who _can_ answer." The captain quipped.

The MC was silenced. Some people in the audience — _like the eliminated idol groups_ —knew that Kasamatsu was in the right, and wondered just where this was going. To make matters worse, this was live television, so the entire nation was seeing what was going down.

"I see someone's a sore loser." Enya started with a condescending smirk.

"Excuse me?" Kise said, his voice entering a falsetto. The others were ready to pounce, but thankfully (knowing that Kagami, Kise and Takao could literally rip N.O.T.E limb from limb and Kuroko could verbally destroy them), Kasamatsu held his palm up, to indicate to his boys not to move an inch. Frankly, if this wasn't live TV, Kasamatsu wouldn't have let them loose.

"Alright, how about this? The questions remain, but you, Yuki, will have to play in your precious boys' stead." Osamu joined in with a smirk. "I mean, the script writer can't possibly change anything now."

Catal Rhythm sans Kasamatsu gasped in shock.

How cruel can they get? To their understanding, they were asking Kasamatsu to play against the four of them, by himself without even support from either of them. Kagami was this close to punching them squarely in the face. Kise, on the hand, was torn between marching over to N.O.T.E and strangling them to death or actually capturing them for torture.

"You're on." Kasamatsu hissed. No one was going to get away with making his boys look like idiots on national TV. _No one._

"But Senpai..." Kise started. "...can you really do this?"

Kasamatsu turned and ruffled his blond locks with a smile. "Leave it to me. I'm your Senpai, am I not?"

Their exchange was adorable, and sadly for the two, this was caught on camera which meant, the entire of Japan saw it. Which meant, the drama queens were ready to start something.

When the other four headed backstage, Kasamatsu did his usual breathing exercises to calm his nerves down. To be frank, Kasamatsu was just as worried as the others were. He didn't know what he was doing, or if he'd be able to answer the questions given.

_"Since Yuki-san had answered question 6 correctly, that point will be omitted and we'll ask a another set of five questions. If Yuki-san gets all five right, then he'd be tied with N.O.T.E., but if N.O.T.E. gets even one correct, they'll be the winners!"_

"That's wicked." Takao almost tore up. Their leader, would have to get every question right, if he was to redeem their name. The slightest slip and it's over.

"Kise, call Ruiko-san." Kagami said, "anger" couldn't describe what he was feeling.

Kise smirked. He knew what Kagami meant. "I'll tell her to bring gloves, kerosene and matches."

"Are we burning them alive?" Kuroko then asked.

"Oh yes." the blond grinned deviously. "We'll give them a taste of hell before they actually descend."

_« Question 6: Math. sin30 degrees + cos120 degrees + tan45 degrees equals...? »_

Kasamatsu pressed the buzzer with one hand, while using the other to work out the math. "The answer is 1."

 _«_ _Correct! »_

_« Question 7: Japanese. How many strokes does this character have? »  
_

On the projection screen, a picture came up and the instant Kasamatsu saw it, he pressed the buzzer. He was still thinking of the meaning, because if he knew the meaning, he'd be able to remember the stroke count. And he did.

"The answer is 56."

_« Correct! »_

_«_ _Question 8: General Knowledge. What is the flower of Kanagawa? »_

Yet again, Kasamatsu pressed his buzzer. He's lived in the prefecture all his life, so this is something that he'd _know_. "The answer is the Golden-rayed lilly."

_"Wow! Three straight in a row! Yuki-san is not going down so easily!"_

_Oh, just shut up._ Kasamatsu thought bitterly. Being here was pissing him off, given what they did to his fellow bandmates and felt no remorse from it. He was silently seething with rage, and made sure to find out who the hell was behind this before they left here. Not even Kenji could stop him from unleashing his wrath.

 _«_ _Question 9: Geography. What are the three main influences of river discharge in a drainage basin? »_

Kasamatsu knew this one. He didn't suffer through social studies for nothing. "The answers are Evapotranspiration, Precipitation and storage factors."

_« Correct! »_

_"Oh my! One more question and they'll be tied!"_ The MC screeched.

But really, no one could believe it. Not even Kasamatsu himself. Over the weeks leading up to this quiz, he and the others swatted, studied just to make sure that they'll win or at least make it to the finals. They had even watched some past episodes of the show to see if there was a pattern in the questions. To think it actually paid off.

However, N.O.T.E. were so stunned that they didn't realize what was happening. Unlike any other group, they were given the questions and answers weeks before, in order to win. So, seeing Kasamatsu, _alone,_ answering all these questions left them in awe and shock so much that they hadn't heard the tenth question. As a matter of fact, with them brimming with confidence, they weren't as "sharp" as they had been before, so Kasamatsu was able to rack up the points.

_« —geneticist died from starvation?  »_

Their minds snapped back to reality upon hearing the quiz master's voice but it was too late. By the time Enya pressed the buzzer, Kasamatsu was already acknowledged and was answering.

"Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov!" Kasamatsu answered.

 _"Good God!"_ The MC shouted, the surprise was clear in his voice. _"It is a tie! Who would have thought?! The leader of Catal Rhythm is amazing! Five points back to back?! Just how smart are you, boy?!"_

Kasamatsu didn't even flinch. He wasn't in the mood.

_"Now folks, it's time for the tie-breaker! Whoever gets this, will win! Who will it be? N.O.T.E or Yuki-san?!"_

"It's Catal Rhythm, not Yuki." Kasamatsu finally said, his voice was as cold as ice. _"Get it right."_

The MC and everyone could feel it, the cool gentleman of Catal Rhythm had gone ice-cold. But what they should be glad for was that Kasamatsu's eyes were hidden underneath dark glasses. His piercing steel-blue eyes would have left them petrified.

 _"R-R-right..."_ The MC stuttered out.  _"So...so! For this final question, if one party answers incorrectly, the question will be passed to the other. And if they answer correctly, they will be the winner! Now! Let's go!"_

_« Final Question. Music. Who composed "Moonlight Sonata"? »  
_

Both Kasamatsu and N.O.T.E. pressed their buzzer.

But seeing this, the captain had a feeling that they'd choose N.O.T.E. Given that he _somehow_ managed to get all five questions, they'll try everything in their powers to give N.O.T.E. the advantage.

And that they did.

 _"N.O.T.E., please answer."_ the quizmaster said when the five boys from Cinq seemed to have frozen up. But truly, they didn't know the answer. They wracked their brains in order to remember, but the answer just wasn't coming. Going with one of the most famous names in the business, they gave out:

"Mozart!"

Kasamatsu exhaled a relief. Their answer was incorrect. It was Beethoven, not Mozart. But, today was just not meant to be their day.

_« Correct! »_

"What?! Moonlight Sonata is written by Beethoven! It's Piano Sonata number 14 in C# minor! Their answer is clearly wrong!" Kasamatsu said, unable to believe what was unfolding before his eyes.

 _"Yuki-san, if the quizmaster say it's correct, then it is correct."_ The MC replied. 

Kasamatsu crumbled to the floor in utter shock. Not because he didn't win, but because of this blatant cheating. This is what the entertainment industry was truly like? What the hell? He couldn't wrap his head around it. He just couldn't.

"Senpai!" a screech took him out of his thoughts. There Kise was, sprinting towards him before the blond launched himself onto Kasamatsu. The two tumbled to the floor, but because cameras were everywhere, Kasamatsu grabbed both Kise's arms, and had a foot under the taller boy's chin. He _couldn't_ allow Kise to hug him on the floor. Crazy, drama-thirsty fans live for moments like these, and frankly, he wouldn't want to encounter one of those fanfictions about him and Kise. He'd _die._

"Oi! Get off of me!" Kasamatsu hissed.

"Never!" The blond screeched. Takao then fell onto Kise and with his added weight, Kasamatsu couldn't keep it up. The two boys fell onto the captain, almost squeezing the life out of him.

"You're going to kill him you fools!" Kagami shouted.

"Oh."

Promptly, the two sprang up and aided Kasamatsu to his feet, ignoring everything else around them.

"You were amazing! You're the best Senpai ever!" Kise chirped.

"But I didn't win..." Kasamatsu frowned. "We still lost."

"That's because they're dumb. I mean, how the hell Mozart composed Moonlight Sonata when he was already rotting in his grave?"

"Ano...can we get off this set and go home?" Kuroko finally spoke up. "I really don't want to be in this putrid atmosphere any longer."

And as such, they disappeared backstage, totally ignoring the MC's calls for them to remain on stage. They were not in the mood. Standing beside N.O.T.E was not going to happen. _Ever._

Kenji wanted to tell them, out of good grace to head back out there, but his boys were pissed. Sorely pissed to the point where their rage were emanating from their bodies in thick waves.

“This is going to be a long ride home.”

_xxxx_

When the boys entered their house, they immediately headed to their room and jumped into their beds. Kasamatsu was the only one who stayed in the living room, not knowing what to do to cheer them up.

_There was nothing he could’ve done._

It was pretty awful, and what actually made Kasamatsu feel worse was that it seems as though he was a genius. In fact, he wasn’t. He just happened to know the answers to the questions asked. That’s it.

As the time went by, the captain got really worried for his boys and messaged them from his phone as they had locked the door.

— _Dinner? A) Yes. B) No, not hungry._

Within a split second, their answers came in, — _B._

Sighing in distress, Kasamatsu tried something else.

_—Basketball?_

Once again, with swift answers, they texted, — _NO,_ in all caps.

Kasamatsu was at a loss.

They were basketball idiots. For them to decline playing the sport was unimaginable. Still, a part of him understood. Now, it seemed that they were dunces to the entire nation. While they weren’t the brightest crayons in the box, they sure as hell weren’t the dullest either.

To ease his troubled mind, Kasamatsu took up a ball and headed to the basketball court located on the apartment complex. He too, needed to clear his head. He was angry, sad and all sorts of different emotions mixed up in one.

“Eh? What are you doing here?” a deep voice said to him.

Kasamatsu’s head snapped up to see the leader of D:FI, Nakajima Egao. He had been practicing shooting not too long now.

“To cool my head off.” The captain shrugged.

“At a basketball court?”

“Yeah, I play basketball.”

Nakajima looked surprised. “Really?” he then added, “Not that I care anyway.”

 _Tsundere, aren’t you?_ Kasamatsu thought, Takao’s daily talks about Midorima made him able to pick up the behaviour any where.

“Oh.” Kasamatsu could only manage. He then began dribbling slowly towards the net, given that his mind was still in a daze. But even so, Nakajima saw that Kasamatsu’s dribbling was pretty good, better than he and the other boys who had to take up the sport.

“Pretty good dribbling you have there.” He commented.

“Ah, thanks?” Kasamatsu wasn’t sure of how he should answer. Didn’t Nakajima know that he was the captain of Kaijou’s Blue Elites for two years now? Was he _that_ ignorant?

“By the way, I watched that abominable quiz show,” he started. “And as much as I don’t like you guys for coming in through the back door, I have to admit, they did you dirty.” Nakajima said as he made a three. Of course, the ball rebounded off the net, and bounced to the fencing.

“Yeah, they really did.” Kasamatsu agreed albeit absentmindedly.

“So what are you gonna do now? I mean, the others must be pretty devastated.”

“Frankly, I don’t know. That’s why I came out here in the first place.”

“Then why don’t you use their favourite thing to cheer them up? Like, I don’t know, their favourite food, maybe?” Nakajima shrugged. “Food works wonders you know?”

“They’re not hungry. Plus, _this_ is their favourite thing and they declined.”

“Oh.” The raven-haired nodded. “You’re on your own then.”

“Yeah.”

But throughout their conversation, Nakajima had trying to shoot threes and kept on missing. The ball rebounded off the net so many times that Kasamatsu lost count. And for that, the captain looked Nakajima’s posture and kept cringing. “You’re doing it wrong.”

“Huh?”

“Threes need a delicate touch; they won’t go in if your shoulders are all tensed up like that.”

“How’d you know that?”

Kasamatsu said nothing more. He simply took his ball and headed to the three-point line, took his stance and made the shot. It went in with a “swish”, smooth and unhindered.

“Still feel like questioning me?”

“You…” Nakajima didn’t know what to say, instead, he gaped at the captain like a fish out of water.

“Anyway, if you want to make threes, take my advice.” Kasamatsu drawled as he walked away from the court. With Nakajima there, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate and maybe he’ll end up coaching the other male on how to make threes.

At the moment, Kasamatsu was too lazy and too worried about his boys to be thinking of anyone else.

“I wonder if Reiko would have any ideas on how to cheer up Kise.” He mumbled to himself as he scrolled through his contact list. “I’ll probably have to call the Takao and Kuroko’s parents too…”

This was definitely going to be a long evening.


	30. Rock Band Talks

...

…

 

When Kasamatsu had left to de-stress, the other four were fuming in their room. A part of them was sad, yes, but that was only miniscule. Nothing, absolutely nothing — _except N.O.T.E’s destruction_ — could calm them down.

“I have never been so humiliated in my entire life!” Takao screeched indignantly. “Not even when Shutoku was powerless against Rakuzan, I never felt this way!”

“This is it.” Kise hissed in anger. His fingers were moving quite fast against his phone screen, which indicated that he was texting. “CINQ is going down.”

“How? Didn’t you say they were the top company in this industry?” Kagami asked.

“Yeah, but they have enemies in equally top places. _Plus,_ they’re the top in the idol industry, there are other industries about, you know?” the blond smirked evilly. “I leave them to my family. Papacchi and Uncle Koucchi are going to rip them to shreds.”

The others could only look at Kise in shock. They knew that Kise was well-loved, but to be frank, they never knew _what_ the blond’s family was capable of.

“What ―” Kagami started but broke off when he heard Kuroko’s phone ring. It was Hyuuga.

 _“You owe me a new TV and a cellphone.”_ The captain started, never bothering to greet him with a “hello”.

“How?!” Kagami asked, almost screeching. The redhead knew that neither he nor Kuroko had ever been to the captain’s house.

_“I was watching you guys, and in my angered clutch mode, I accidentally threw my phone when N.O.T.E’s faces came up.”_

“Oh.”

_“I didn’t get to finish watching because, you know, but I heard from Coach that you guys lost.”_

“No we didn’t. Senpai was cheated.” Kagami responded sourly. “They gave the bastards the point when their answer was wrong.”

 _“Damn.”_ There was a pause on the other end of the line before the captain started again, _“But, you guys are alright? Right? I mean…”_

“No we’re not, Captain.” Kuroko joined in. “We want to rip N.O.T.E apart but at the moment we can’t do it. The frustration is maddening.”

Hyuuga laughed out at Kuroko’s bluntness. The rest of the team phoned in as well, given them their support and trying their best to cheer them up. It turned comical having the entire Seirin team on a conference call with some spitting out threats, some voicing their worry, some making jokes to lighten the mood. They extended this to Kise and Takao as well, having the two idiots burst with laughter as well.  

Shutoku was the same, with Miyaji and Otsubo swearing that they’ll hunt down the producers and brutally make them pay. Midorima sent a pretty simple message that sent a shiver down all their spines:

_I’m in dialogue with Akashi._

From facing the small redheaded captain in Winter Cup last year, Takao knew he was a force not to be reckoned with. He and Kise exchanged worrying glances but then broke out in hysterical grins.  

As the saying goes “ _Let sleeping dogs lie”,_ so let the war begin.

Perfect 5th had stopped by as well, as Tobio put it “to cheer up their saddened little kouhai”. But, to their horror, Catal Rhythm were the least bit sad, instead, they were murderous. Reiya had to be the one calming them down in Kasamatsu’s absence, because God knows, Kagami and Kise were seriously contemplating razing CINQ to the ground.

“Calm down boys, don’t do anything rash.” Reiya had said. “Doing things that you might regret will not end well, especially in the music industry.”

“We won’t regret this.” The four gave out quickly.

The leader sighed. “Hear what, let management handle it. The media has a way to twist people’s words and put them in the hot seat, so just don’t…”

“We get it, but it’s so frustrating.” Kagami mumbled. “And it’s not fair. They made us look like idiots.”

“That’s not true,” Daigo said, trying to soothe them. “ _Anyone_ with sense could tell that they were asking questions that second years couldn’t answer.” he added, “If you were idiots, how did you make it to the finals?”

Catal Rhythm were not amused. There were too many people out there after all who _would_ think that they were idiots. But, to humour the rapper, they simply nodded.

Still, little did Perfect 5th know what kind of monsters their “cute little kouhai” are.

_xxxx_

Episode 353 of the _Challenge_ was swimming around controversy.

For the past week, the entertainment — _to a lesser extent, music_ —industry was abuzz with the latest drama. The incident had various people all over the internet slinging comments and posting articles all over the place. What this so crazy was not only the sheer number of persons it affected, but also how it morphed the internet into a vicious battlefield.

Fans of Catal Rhythm took to social media and voiced their disgust at the mistreatment of their idols. There were some who had even posted their school’s curriculum guide to prove that what “Yuki” had been saying was right all along.

That would then prompt N.O.T.E.’s fans to fire back, saying that Catal Rhythm were just sore losers, dunces and “Yuki” just wanted to make a scene.

In addition, neutral fans who couldn’t care less about either group quipped by saying “if Catal Rhythm were dunces, how did they end up at the final?”

Furthermore, fans of the other eliminated groups were split between siding with Catal Rhythm’s fans in the injustice and unfair treatment of the groups, and saying that Catal Rhythm should just move on and suck it up.

In essence, fan wars were pretty _nasty._

But the drama didn’t end there.

The _Classical Music Association of Japan_ was livid at the fact that on live TV, Mozart was credited to have been the one to compose _Moonlight Sonata,_ and demanded that the producers of the quiz show rectify the embarrassing mistake immediately. And sadly, given that this was something that regarded one of the great musicians in history, news of it had even reached the homeland —Germany.

And needless to say, the German classical giants were thoroughly pissed.

With even them making a racket, N.O.T.E. was put under the scrutiny for making such a mistake. Being idols, they _should have known_ what Mozart composed from what Beethoven did. And given Mozart’s time of death, there was no way the man could have written _Moonlight Sonata._ Even someone without an ounce of interest in classical music _knew that_.

It was the only thing that the news talked about, and it was so much that neither of the boys from Catal Rhythm watched TV or even went to school. Well, Kasamatsu went, given that he was a third year; he couldn’t miss any class these days.

That said, the third year captain was thoroughly _annoyed._

No matter where he turned in school, all he could hear were talks about _Challenge._ He heard the good, the bad and the indifferent but in terms of the bad, he never girls could get so _awful._ Hearing what they said about his boys riled up the urge to punch them squarely in their faces but thank God for Akagi, Nakamura, Hayakawa for restraining him.

“Damn, now I know why they didn’t want to leave home.” Kasamatsu hissed angrily as he sat back in his chair. “This is pissing me off.”

“It’s pissing everyone off.” Nakamura sighed. “Have they even apologized to you guys yet?”

“Pfft. As if.” The captain said with an eye roll. “That’s not gonna happen.” He then added, “Or even if they do, it’s only because the public is coming down hard on them, which, wouldn’t constitute a proper apology.”

“That’s right.” Akagi nodded. “So what are you going to do?”

“Move on.” Kasamatsu sighed. “There isn’t much to do either. We can always move on, but we won’t forget.”

Akagi looked at his friend with a smile. “I’ve never heard you sound so _bitter_ before _,_ Kasamatsu. Not even when you didn’t get to crowd surf at last year’s FujiRock.”

“Naturally,” Kasamatsu replied, taking a drink of his orange juice. “I’m just so frustrated right now.”

“You know, I’m going to make it my mission to see him in action one of these days.” Nakamura snickered. “Just imagining Kasamatsu crowd surfing is…” he broke off as he tried his best to stifle down his laughter. However, he couldn’t hold it anymore and erupted in full blown laughs.

Akagi could only smile and shake his head at the ash-blond. “If only you knew the monster that is your captain.”

“Akagi!” Kasamatsu screeched in an attempt to shut him up.

Nakamura’s laughter immediately ceased.

“Is there a video?” Hayakawa asked, curious.

“Pfft! Video!? In Summer Sonic?! Are you nuts?!” It was Akagi’s turn to laugh. “One cannot video in Summer Sonic. Your phone will die. Both battery-wise and parts-wise.”

“Huh?!”

“Imagine filming a group and then their set ended. The stage dims and mechanics close up the stage so that the other band can come on without spectators knowing who it is. Then suddenly you hear one of Lynkyn Park’s iconic songs come on.” Akagi leaned forward and smirked. “Bitch, better believe that that phone will be flying.”

Kasamatsu nodded fervently in agreement.

Akagi grinned as he looked at the captain. “I can remember when one year _UnderWorld_ came on suddenly and Kasamatsu ended up losing his shit. Up until this day, we have no idea where he threw his phone due to the  excitement.” The raven-haired teen snickered. “It was only after the concert he was like, “shit! My phone”! You should’ve seen his face!”

“Akagi…I’m going to kill you.” Kasamatsu said with a snarl.

“Maa…whose shoulders are you going to sit atop this year if you do that?”

“Abeno’s.” he replied without hitch.

“Cruel!”

 _Scary…_ The others thought in shock as they watched the exchange.

“But onto another topic,” Akagi bounced back quickly. “What happened to your hair, Kasamatsu?”

The captain sighed. He had been wearing a cap to school in order to hide as he didn’t know what to do with it. Thanks to Kise hounding them to take care of their hairs properly, forcing them to use moisturizers and the various hair treatment products; his hair had grown out so fast that he himself was shocked.  “It grew out and I haven’t gotten the time to head to the barber.”

Akagi hummed. “Now you can try out so many styles! You’ll become an even hotter heartthrob for the girls than you already are!”

“Shut up.”

_xxxx_

While Kasamatsu was at school, the others were at home playing their instruments, hoping to get their minds at ease and calm their raging anger.

As Kuroko started to play familiar chords, Kise recognized the song immediately and started to play the matching beat on his cajón with Takao joining with the acoustic guitar and Kagami with his acoustic bass. They jammed out their song _Lucifer,_ singing along where they could. For Kasamatsu’s parts, Kise and Takao sung his lines, because Kagami didn’t want to go with their suggestion of rapping the leader’s lines.

For about one hour or so, they ended up jamming out some of their songs which actually turned out to be the right remedy for them. Although, the _perfect_ remedy would to vent at a basketball court.

“Guys, I just realized something.” Kise said as he continued to play his cajón while looking about the room. “We can only practice at home with our acoustic instruments, right?”

“Obviously.” Kagami said, stopping from playing his acoustic bass.

“Isn’t it going to be a problem when we want to practice with our other instruments and have to go all the way to Makicchi’s?”

The other three looked at each other in realization. While this room was big enough for them to sit comfortably and practice with their acoustic instruments, if they should add the electrical ones _plus_ the amplifiers and mics and all those other things, then…they have absolutely no space.

“We’re going to need more space.” Takao said, stating the obvious.

“But how? We live on the third floor, in an apartment complex. There’s no room for expansion.” Kagami said.

“And I doubt Aihara-san would allow us to do such a thing.” Kuroko sighed.

“Then, we get our own house.” Kise quickly said. “Simple as that. I mean, idols don’t stay at their dorms forever.”

“It isn’t simple!” Kagami countered. “We aren’t at legal age to buy one ―”

“Yu-chan will be in July.”

“―nor does Kenji-san know that we want to be a rock band!”

“I just messaged him and he said we should meet him at the office later on when Kasamatsu-senpai comes from school.” Kuroko said without looking up from his novel.

“―we aren’t rich enough yet either!” Kagami continued to argue.

“Someone hasn’t been checking his bank account. We _get_ paid Kagamicchi. It’s right here.” Kise said while sliding the phone across to the redhead.

“Oh.” The tiger said as he looked at the screen.

“But for a fact, we really aren’t rich yet though.” Kuroko joined in without taking his eyes off his novel. “Houses are expensive, you know? And I’d prefer one with yard space.”

“Yeah, with a pool too.” Kise fantasized.

“And a basement for our home theatre!” Takao added.

“I suggest we tell Kenji-san before we think of anything else. And then again, will the President even allow us to be a band?” Kagami asked, breaking their mood completely.

“With enough reason and persuasion, I’m sure he will.” Takao smiled. “I mean, I managed to coerce the four of you into entering that competition with me.”

“Good, because we’re leaving it up to you.” The other three said in unison.

Takao was not amused.

_xxxx_

 

When Kasamatsu reached home, he saw the bright smiles of his boys and felt at ease. Whatever happened while he was gone seemed to have vanquished the murderous aura.

“So Senpai,” Kise began with a teasing face. “What made you all red when we were at the show?”

“Huh?” Surely, the captain hadn’t expected _that_ sudden question.

“Don’t “huh” us. We saw you! When we were outside with Dress Code, you seemed to be remembering something and you got all red!” Takao smirked. “What? Rei-chan ran across your mind?”

“Wha—what?! No! It’s…I…” the captain stuttered, unable to say anything.

“So _it is_ her.” The two said with devious grins. Kuroko’s face was playful.

“I’m not going to do this with you guys.” The captain said as he sat in the sofa.

“Whatever you say, _Onii-chan~”_ Kise grinned.

But Kasamatsu was not amused. “Call me that one more time and I’ll rip your tongue out.”

“Senpai!” Kise wailed, pretending to be hurt. But, the blond could notice that there was something different about his Senpai. He seemed a lot more agitated and… _disturbed._ “Senpai, are you alright?” he asked with a more worried tone.

Kasamatsu was startled. With a slight chuckle, he said, “Yeah. It’s just that I’ve been pretty annoyed lately.”

They didn’t need to hear anything more. They knew _exactly_ why the captain would have been annoyed.

“Ah…”

“But, we have our dream team to meet. So let’s head out to hear what they have to say, ne?” Takao chirped. “I’m really excited to see what it is. Maybe N.O.T.E.’s destruction?”

“It’ll be too fast. There’s no way they would have been able to work _that_ quickly.” Kise sighed. “Not even Mom would have been able to sink someone of CINQ’s calibre already. And her skill of finding shit out is on the FBI level.”

“Damn, your Mom is scary.” Kasamatsu shivered.

Kise smirked at his Senpai. “Oh yes, yes she is.”

…

After Kasamatsu freshened up in the bathroom and changed out of his school uniform, the five headed out to the complex to meet with their dream team. Given the ruckus that’s been going on, the five wouldn’t be shocked if it was something pertaining to it.

And so it was.

“Guys, the producers and organizers of _Challenge_ are making a public apology to you.” Ren said without hitch.

Immediately, the five’s faces twisted with disgust. They wanted nothing to do with it, not after all they were put through. And knowing themselves, the moment they see the quizmaster, the MC and whoever else, they won’t hold back. Punches will fly; kicks will be sent…the list is endless.

“Do we have to go?” Kise asked. “I mean, I’ll seriously punch them to death if I so even smell them.” The blond hissed. His face had darkened; his rage could be seen emanating from his body.

“Ah…but out of good manners and measure, I think you should ―”

“We don’t want to.” Takao strongly said, cutting the publicist off.

“It won’t be a genuine apology anyway.” Kuroko grumbled.

Ren sighed. It seems like these boys aren’t going to budge no matter what. Kiyotaka then stood up and leaned over the cubicle partition.

“Even if it kills you, there has to be some representation of the group Catal Rhythm.”

“Then why can’t you guys go represent us then?” Kise asked, “I mean, that way we won’t have to see their stinking faces.” He grumbled.

Ren, Kiyotaka and Kenji have never seen their boys like this before. And frankly, they didn’t know what to do with them. On one hand, the three could understand clearly why they didn’t want to go that public apology thing; while on the other hand, if they didn’t…

“Excuse me,” Kasamatsu began, “Since my boys are so bitter, how about I go instead?” he started. “That way, there will be representation and I can always lie and say they’re too shaken up to function.”

“Senpai!”, “Yu-chan!” Kise and Takao screeched in slight anger. They weren’t in the least bit shaken up, at least Kasamatsu could think of a better lie than that.

“You can’t go alone!” Kise said. “Don’t do it! And that lie is pathetic! I don’t want people to think we’re a bunch of crying wimps!”

“Then are you willing to come with me?”

“Well…I’m still smouldering…and…”

Kasamatsu smiled at his blond ace. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen this time around, right?”

The others descended in grumbles, complaining that Kasamatsu shouldn’t go because they won’t be by his side etc. It was cute, seeing how much they really cared about each other to the point that four of them didn’t want to see their Leader face the people who hurt them, _alone._

“Alright, we’ll go but in return I wanna snap the quizmaster and MC’s necks. Fine?” Kise said with a grin. “I wanna hear their bones breaking in my arms.”

“No way! You can’t have them both! Who the rest of us will get to beat up?!” Kagami roared.

Aghast, Kenji nearly screamed, “Boys! You will not beat up anyone! The hell are you thinking?!”

“How to de-stress and properly vent out anger.” They shamelessly gave out.

“Holy Shit…” Kiyotaka couldn’t help but giggle. In all his years of working with idol groups, he’s _never_ encountered one quite like Catal Rhythm.

“Still, there’re bigger things we need to get out of the way.” Takao said, clearing his throat and changing the subject.

“Which is…?”

“We would like to be a rock band.”

Ren and Kiyotaka’s jaws nearly dropped through the floor, Kenji did a vicious spit-take of the water he just drank and started to cough violently. With wide eyes he looked at the five boys, refusing to believe what his ears just heard.

“Excuse me? Come again?” Kenji asked.

“We want to be a rock band.” Takao repeated.

“No you cannot.”

“Why?!” they screeched.

“Because, you’re already idols. Why do you want to venture into that anyway?”

“Yu-chan writes amazing songs! And we’re not happy that the world won’t hear them if we remain only as idols!” The hawk eyed teen argued. “Plus, we won’t be comfortable with another vocalist singing the songs! The world _needs_ to hear Yu-chan’s voice!”

“Boys…”

“Think of it like us being a sub-unit, a side project. Please, Kenji-san?”

Kiyotaka whistled in shock and looked to Kenji, so too did Ren.

“Boys, _think_ about it. Being a rock band isn’t a walk in the park. You’d have to ―” he cut himself off, “Can you even play any instrument?!”

“Of course we can!” Kise chirped. “I can play the drums, Senpai is a guitar master, Takaocchi and Kagamicchi plays the rhythm and bass and Kurokocchi is on the keyboard.”

“What kind of convenient plot is this?!” Ren whistled in shock. “It just so happened that _all five_ of you can play the main instruments that make up a rock band?!”

“Believe it.” Kise grinned.

“I refuse to!” Ren screeched.

Kenji felt a headache coming on. This was unprecedented. While he’s heard of frontmen in the past being idols first (even though it was a short time or they only did it just to get proper voice training), he’s never encountered a situation such as this. And as much as he didn’t want them to venture out into the rock world while still being idols, he knows that nothing said will stop them. _Plus,_ he was the one who brought them into this. Who knows? Maybe their true talents lie within being a rock band instead of pop idols.

With a stressed sigh, he said, “I have to talk to Dad about this.” He then picked up the receiver on the desk and proceeded to dial, tuning out the others in the room.

“I hope he says yes.” Kagami grumbled.

“I hope he says no!” Ren voiced his opinion. But for a fact, he was truly worried. Idols venturing into rock? That’s dangerous territory! “Boys, even if Kasamatsu-kun is capable of writing the song of the decade, the mere fact that you all are idols is going to get you marked down! Pop idols and screamo rock bands don’t mix! Ever!”

Kasamatsu chuckled, “Ren-san, not all rock bands are about screamo.”

“I know that! But…!”

“Plus, who says the world has to know that we’re idols?” Kise smirked. “I’ve been doing research and there are bands out there that wear masks and no one bitches about it!”

Ren paled. “Surely you aren’t thinking of wearing any absurd masks or painting your faces like you’re participating in Halloween, are you?”

“No!” the five screeched with disgust.

“As Kenji said, let the President decide their fate. But in my opinion, I’d say let them go for it.” Kiyotaka joined in to turn the conversation onto a different topic. The talks about scary masks and shit wasn’t his cup of tea.

“What? Why?!” Ren looked like the older man had just betrayed him.

“Because _nothing_ will stop these boys. I think they’ll still do the band stuff after their contract ends with us _if_ the President says no.”

“Aww, you know us too well, Kiyo-san!” Takao perked, slinging an arm around his neck.

“Of course.” The bleached blond haired man smiled.   

“Well,” Kenji started, hanging up the phone.

“What did he say?” Kise asked. “Did he agree?”

Kenji shrugged. “He’s coming here.”

Silence fell yet again.

“Is this where we start to panic?” Kuroko asked.

“Uh, no, but it is quite odd for Dad to leave his office to come here instead of us going to him.”

“Oh.”

But what they didn’t know was that the President was already on his way out of his office when Kenji called. So, he decided to drop by to hear what his son wanted to say before leaving for his appointment.

“Hello,” President Aihara said with a smile when Kiyotaka opened the door. The blond stepped aside and allowed the elder man to come in, but the atmosphere within the office could tell that whatever it was, was a serious matter.

He was greeted by everyone in the room and even when Kenji offered for him to sit; he declined because he was in a hurry anyway. “So what’s the emergency?” he asked.

“They want to be a rock band as a side project.” Kenji said without hitch.

President Aihara was stunned into silence. “Gimme the chair.” He said somewhat breathlessly. The older man was trying to wrap his head around what his youngest son just told him, but he found it hard to do so.

When he sat down, he asked, “Come again? They want to be _what?”_

“A rock band.” Ren answered. “You know, the ones that create their own music and lyrics and play their instruments ―”

The President chuckled, “Ren-kun, I know what a rock band is.” His eyes then turned to the five boys who had unreadable expressions on their faces. “Why do you want to do this?”

Kise and Kagami nudged Takao in the back, prompting him to take a step forward. “Sir, as I have said before, Yu-chan writes amazing songs. Plus, the songs that he writes fit the rock genre. Having him “pop them up” isn’t going to work! And having someone else sing them is injustice!”

“But, there are plans of forming a sub-unit and solo careers to think about and ―”

“I’m sorry, but there’s no way either of us can solo. The thought of going on stage without these idiots beside me is incomprehensible!” Kise interjected strongly with the others nodding behind him. “Please let us do this! Think of it being in the space of a sub-unit.”

“So, you’re telling me that you rather not be a sub-unit or have your own solo careers but instead be a rock band?”

The five nodded.

With a sigh, President Aihara said, “Fine.”

Catal Rhythm burst out in screams, jumping and hugging each other in the process. As for their dream team, they were stunned beyond words. Kiyotaka simply resigned to his chair, as he was never against them being a rock band in the beginning. As he said, nothing could change their minds. Ren and Kenji however, could not believe their ears.

“Dad, why…?” he asked.

“A moment.” The President said. He then cleared his throat in order to get the attention of rejoicing boys. “So, what are you going to do for management?”

“Well, we plan to stay here. It doesn’t make any sense to go to another company because that’ll cause too much back and forth and schedules will inevitably clash. So, staying where we’re already known is the best course of action.” Kasamatsu replied.

“What about a manager? Kenji can’t manage a rock band.”

“We have someone in mind.” Kise smiled. And although the others had no idea who that “someone” is, the expression they wore indicated to the President that they all knew who Kise was talking about.

“Okay.” Even though he said so, there was a sudden chill coming from the aged man. “I want two songs. Not demos, but _complete songs_ —verses, chorus, bridge, the whole nine yards by…” he trailed off and opened up his phone. “Alright, we’re in June so I want these songs done by the end of August. You have summer to work on them.” He looked up to meet the grinning fools. “After I get your songs, we’ll continue our talks from there. That is, if I’m impressed.”

“Oh, you will be.” Takao smirked.

President Aihara wanted to bust with laughter at their daring faces.  “Now, I need a little alone time with your dream team. If you don’t mind…”

“Sure!” they screeched.”

“Yu-chan! Let’s use _Et Cetera_ and _Kasabuta!”_ Takao screeched as they headed through the door.

“I only have one verse of Kasabuta, idiot!” Kasamatsu scolded.

“ _Clock Strikes!”_ Kise argued.

“ _Kagerou!_ I think that one is better!” Kagami argued.

Soon, their voices died down the further away they moved from the office. President Aihara was gaping in shock. _Did they already have songs written and waiting for this moment?_

“Dad…” Kenji started, snapping the man out of his thoughts. “How could you?”

President Aihara shrugged. “There were two reasons for my decision. One: they didn’t audition here off of their own free will. They were dragged here by you, so I thought that maybe their true potential could possibly lie in being rock band.

“Before this, all that was on their minds were basketball, but now that they’ve been exposed to a whole new world, they’re seeing other sides of themselves and as such, I don’t want to stifle their possible growth by hindering them from doing this. Plus, they aren’t idol-like to begin with. They’re so raw, unfiltered and truthful that the idol world may end up seeing them as unfit to be what they are. But in the rock world, people would accept them with wide open arms.”

“Hmm…you’re right about that.” Ren mumbled. “So what’s the second?”

“They’re determined.” President Aihara said curtly. “I could see in their eyes that nothing would have stopped them. Even if I had rejected their idea, that was just delaying the inevitable. After their contract ends, they may not renew it with us, but go off to their band activities. So really, telling them no now would not change the fact that they _will be a band_.”

Ren and Kenji sighed in defeat. Those were indeed logical reasons, and knowing their boys, nothing would have stopped them.

“It seems you were right, Kiyotaka-san.” Kenji sighed.

“Of course, our boys are something else.”

  _xxxx_

“Oh My God!” Takao screamed as he took up his acoustic guitar. “I can’t believe we get to be a band!”

“I know right?!” Kise screeched as he sat on his cajón. “So what two songs are we gonna use? I suggest _Clock Strikes._ ”

“ _Et Cetera!”_ Takao screeched.

“ _Kagerou!”_ Kagami shouted.

“ _Et Cetera.”_ Kuroko deadpanned. “That song will definitely bring some feels to the president.”

“Yus! We have two votes for _Et Cetera._ So…”

“Alright, then we’ll do _Kagerou.”_ Kasamatsu sighed.

“Senpai! Why didn’t you choose “ _Clock Strikes”?!”_ Kise screeched looking betrayed. “How could you side with Kagamicchi?!”

“I didn’t side with him!” the captain defended. He softened his voice before talking again to hurt-looking ace, “It’s just that I really like _Clock Strikes_ and I want our skills really awesome before we actually record it.”

“Aww, Senpai…” Kise cooed. Kasamatsu inched away from him in disgust causing the ace to make pouty faces at him.

“So, how are we going to practice? I mean, we can play the acoustic version of _Et Cetera_ but I don’t think the President wants _that.”_ Kagami started up again.

“Right…”

“I can look over the guitar chords and re-arrange it and then Kise can add the drum beat and we’ll work in the keyboards.” Kasamatsu suggested. “How about that?”

“We can work with that.” Kise nodded.

“So, what are our stage names gonna be? I’m sure we can’t use the current ones.” Takao said.

The other four looked to each in realization. They’ve been so focused on mastering their instruments (or rather, being able to play decently), that they had totally forgotten about the stage name aspect.

“I’m too tired to think of a stage name at this moment,” Kasamatsu sighed. “So Kise, go cook.” He ordered the ace.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Kise responded with a salute and a wide grin before sauntering off to the kitchen.

"But onto a better note, is it just me, or is Yu-chan's hair longer?" Takao asked, looking at the Blue Elite.

"It's longer." Kuroko and Kagami deadpanned.

"I'm not going through this again." Kasamatsu grumbled. "It grew out, I'm going to trim it when I get the chance to."

"No!" Kise screeched from the kitchen. "Style it Senpai! You can style it! Don't you wanna be a heartthrob!?"

"I already am."

Silence befell them yet again, but this wasn't _just_ because they were shocked. The sheer confidence that emitted from Kasamatsu was enough to leave them gaping.

"Well..." Kise trailed off in a gasp.

"What? My mother told me so."

That said, their faces immediately fell. 

"You know Kasamatsu-senpai, just admit that Reiko-san was the one who told you that. No need to be shy." Kuroko said, closing his novel with a snap. "Your mother is in a league of her own."

"Wha...? But she ―"

"No need to hide it, I see all your messages, you know?" Kise smirked.

Kasamatsu turned tomato red. "I don't believe you."

Kise's smirk turned into a devious grin. "I've got a mother who's an FBI that's not in the FBI remember? Whose phone she can't hack into?" Of course, this was just a plot to get the captain flustered and riled up, as even thought Kise Ritsuko could find information quickly, there's no way she could really hack someone's phone. "So I see _all_ your messages to Reiko-nee and boy," he took a deep breath before exhaling easy, "I just love the fresh smell of an upcoming wedding in the evening."

Kasamatsu couldn't counter the blond, instead, he wanted to die of embarrassment. Kuroko, Kagami and Takao were going to drill him to death.

"Give me a break." he mumbled while hiding his face in his palms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned are all from One Ok Rock.


	31. A Step Closer

…

...

 

The day of the supposed public apology had finally arrived, and neither of the boys was in a good mood. It was a weekday, which meant that they had to go to school first, miss basketball practice, _just_ to sit and listen to a fake-ass apology.

However, there was one thing that made the five ecstatic.

Since they were given the clear to be a band, there was nothing that will stand in their way of achieving that. Before going to bed yesterday, the five had an in-depth discussion about their next plan of action. Of course, the main idea was world domination, but there was still a problem that they needed to get over, and that was the case of the guitarists. Kasamatsu was no doubt the one fit for the lead guitarist role, but thinking about performing, it’ll be difficult to move around with an instrument strapped to his body.

He could always teach Takao since the Rhythm and Lead are two sides of the same coin but then again…    

However, they were in for a shock.

“ _Boys!”_ came an indignant screech as their front door was bust open. The five were in the middle of breakfast, and to say that they were surprised wouldn’t express how _frightened_ they were.

“What’s up, Ken-san?” Takao asked, the others’ mouths were full of food so they couldn’t speak.

“What’s up? What’s up?” the manager repeated as he thundered in. “What’s this!?” he shrieked as he held up a magazine.

Catal Rhythm looked impassive.

“A magazine.” Kagami replied, oblivious to the older male’s rage.

Kenji was not amused. As such, he opened it and flipped speedily through the pages before slamming it down on the table. “What is _this?”_

The five peered over and looked at the page and realized that it was their interview. At first, they didn’t know what got Kenji worked up, but as they read, they saw what the big deal was. Everything that was said by them was written in, _everything._

“Run!” Kasamatsu shouted. “The door! The door!”

The boys evaded Kenji swiftly, and made a dash for their front door, in hopes of escaping the rage of their manager. But as soon as they opened the door, they crashed into Nobuzane, Ren and Kiyotaka.

“We’re cornered!” Takao screeched in horror. “We’re gonna die!”

“Good morning to you too, boys.” Ren said with a devilish smile. The trio men walked forwards with an intimidating aura forcing the five boys back inside where Kenji was waiting.

“Kuroko-san is the demon that I summoned from hell? What were you thinking?!”

“We never…it wasn’t…” Kise tried to say something, but it died on his lips. “I didn’t know he was going to put that in there! It wasn’t part of the original set of questions, so I thought he only asked because he was curious who the “demonic father” is!” Kise argued to save their lives.

Kenji sighed. “Interviewers like to record everything in case they missed anything. So Aiba-san had everything you said.”

“But…”

“So, next time, _don’t_ say these things. Although it gave the interview a more realistic feel, please…for the sake of me and the others not having a headache, keep your mouths shut.”

“But Ken-san, it’s hard to…” Takao pouted. “We promise we won’t say anything _too_ misleading —”

“A promise is comfort to a fool.” Kenji sighed. “I won’t fall in your trap.”

Takao and Kise pouted at the manager while the others continued to stuff their faces.

“But anyway, that’s not the real reason I came here today.” Everyone stopped at that. “I was supposed to tell you this the last time, but because you came with your “rock band” proposal, it threw us all off.”

“Completely.” Nobuzane said with a nod.

“Sorry.” They said in a sing-song voice.

“So, this is the heads up. You’ll be recording your first full length album starting July. More details will be given later today when you come home.” The producer continued. “I’ll work you to death since I’m a crazy perfectionist.”

 _But you all are…_ the five thought in unison.

“I can’t believe this.” Kagami grumbled. “If you kill us off, what will happen?”

The quartet deadpanned, “Your funerals.”

“Cruel!” Takao and Kise shrieked.

“You haven’t seen cruel yet.” Kenji smirked.

It was at that moment that the five boys knew that they were so _dead._

_xxxx_

When they had gotten ready, the Tokyo boys crawled into their van fretting about their future. With their dream team bent on killing them off, they knew that escape was not an option. For once, the drive to their schools was rather a peaceful one, as neither of them spoke. Kuroko was too engrossed in his novel, Kenji wondering just how many books he had. He was _always_ reading. Kagami listened to music and Takao was just staring out the window. It was odd behaviour for the latter, but Kenji decided to let it rest. If something was wrong, he’d be whining and complaining already.

Soon enough, Kenji neared Shutoku, of where Takao exited. Since he didn’t want anyone to get suspicious, the hawk-eyed teen always gets off a little far from the school gate, where no one could see.

So, he trotted along the sidewalk, walking alongside his fellow schoolmates but he was lost in own thoughts. He was filled with excitement, glad that they can actually bring “Alter-Ego” to life. He couldn’t wait for the world to hear Kasamatsu’s true voice, as singing in a group with four other persons; they can’t use their voices to its full potential.

So deep in thought that he hadn’t realized when he reached his classroom, and upon entering, Takao’s friends and classmates could tell that something good had happened to him. With happiness oozing out his body, the boy was as radiant as the sun. And when his two closest friends —Tsukiyama and Honda—asked, the hawk-eyed boy only answered,

“The world will melt like butter upon hearing Yu-chan’s beautiful voice.”

Of course, the two had no idea what he meant and just left it as it is.

Not long after, Aika arrived, as soon as she noticed how Takao was over-bubbly and giddy, she suspected that something happened.

“Kazunari-kun, are you alright?” she asked.

“Ai-chan!” he screeched in pure joy. “You wouldn’t _believe_ what happened!” At that, he proceeded to drag her off to a corner of the classroom and said, “We get to be a band!”

The Latin Dancer looked stunned. “What?”

“Yup! We got the clear to be a band.”

“But...aren’t you five idols? How can you be a band? A rock band, I presume?”

Takao shook his head as he threw a hand over her shoulder. “Tsk, tsk,” he started, wagging an index at her. “Yu-chan’s voice is like an angel’s, plus, he writes amazing songs! Letting someone else sing it would be a criminal offence.”

“Wow.” Was all Aika could utter at the moment. She’s never seen or heard of an entire pop idol group wanting (and getting the chance) to be a rock band _while_ still maintaining their primary jobs. Rock and pop don’t mix. Or rather, rock and pop idols.  “So...can you play an instrument?”

“I’m learning the guitar. Rhythm guitar, to be exact.”

“Oh. So how good do you think you are now? Can you play any songs?”

Takao moved his head side by side in a pondering manner. “I can, but there are certain techniques that I still can’t do as yet.” He chuckled. “Trust me, when I see Yu-chan play the rhythm guitar, I realize that I have a far way to go.” He added, “But then again, Yu-chan is a monster. He’s in a dimension of his own.”

“Oh…”

But meanwhile the two were chatting, Tsukiyama and Honda noticed something, and huddled together.

“Remember when Catal Rhythm were talking on Juuzou’s show and Taka said “Ai-chan” when they were roasting each other?” Honda asked, not taking his eyes off Takao.

“Yeah, why?”

“Doesn’t Takao’s voice sound like Taka?” he suspected. “At least in the way they both say “Ai-chan”.”

Tsukiyama paused for a while before the realization sink in. “Oh shit. You don’t think…?”

Honda shrugged. “I don’t know. But I just thought that their voices sounded extremely similar. _Too_ similar for people who aren’t related. _And,_ Taka is our age, and attends Shutoku.”

“What are the odds…?”

The two boys looked at each other which were followed by a moment of silence. Looking back at Takao and Aika, the two males broke out in laughter. “Pfft! No...!” they said as if trying to convince themselves. But the more they eavesdropped on the pair’s conversation and heard Takao mention “Yu-chan” and his angelic voice, the more their suspicions rose.

“No…” this time, it was of shock and disbelief.

 

...

 

Kenji dropped off Kuroko and Kagami at Seirin, and like Takao, they had to walk to the gate to avoid any suspicions (not that anyone would be suspicious of either of them). Still, instead of heading to their classrooms, they went to the gym where the entire team was waiting. They rallied around Kagami and Kuroko, expressing properly how heartbroken and mad they were. Kuroko learned that, talking over the phone doesn’t convey a message properly because there’s a lack of facial expression.

But unlike the others, nothing exciting really happened to these two, since Kuroko is like a ghost and Kagami is known as a basketball idiot.

 

...

 

At Kaijou, it was the usual for Kise, being hounded by fangirls on whether or not he was “Sunn”. So doing what he has been ever since this started, he ignores them. Sure, he acknowledged some people but after that, he plugged in his earphones tuning them out completely.   

Upstairs, Kasamatsu was chatting with Akagi and other classmates who joined in briefly or who were just nearby them and heard bits and pieces of their conversation. But when they dispersed, Akagi asked the captain,

“You seem to be in a better mood. Tell me, what happened?”

“It’s just that we got the clearing to be a band from our boss.”

“Oh!” the raven-haired boy chirped. “That’s great!”

“Yeah, but he wants two complete songs by August 31st though.” Kasamatsu chuckled.

“But it’s already June. You’d have to write lyrics, create music and all that. It’s going to be a lot of work especially with those guys who aren’t as skilled you.”

Kasamatsu smiled. “It’s fine. They aren’t that bad. They’re like decent at the moment. We already have the two songs; all we need to do is change the arrangements to fit the electric instruments.”

“No way!” Akagi gasped. “You’ve done them acoustically?” Kasamatsu nodded. “You work fast!”

“It’s just that I’ve written the lyrics prior to this so…”

“Oh...Can I hear it? At least one song!” Akagi was excited to hear what his friend was capable of.

“Fine.” Kasamatsu wasn’t going to deny him, as Akagi would pester him _all day_ until he caved anyway. “I’ll sing the second chorus of _Et Cetera.”_

“Sure.”

 

  _Why can’t I say “bye bye” like I want_

_To the you who’s leaving me?_

_I know I said I never wanted to see you again_

_But can’t I really think that way?_

 

Akagi clutched his heart. Kasamatsu’s voice was rich, melodic and when he sang, the raven-haired boy could feel his emotions stirring within.  “Jesus Christ!” he gasped. “Kasamatsu, what the hell? I felt that.” he held his head down for a brief moment. “Holy shit, have you gotten your heart broken by ―”

“I’ve never had a girlfriend.” Kasamatsu cut him off. “You _know_ this.”

“But why does…?” Akagi couldn’t even speak properly. “Shit…dude, how could you sing like that!?”

The captain grinned. “I don’t know but it’s a good thing that you felt the way you did.”

“No it’s —”

“Wow, Kasamatsu, I never knew you could sing.” another classmate who had been sitting nearby joined in, dabbing at his eye to rid the tear that threatened to fall. “That was so beautiful. Where have you been hiding such a voice all this time?”

Kasamatsu and Akagi stared at the classmate, as though they had no idea what to do. But putting his acting skills to good use, Kasamatsu started,

“I can’t sing. You never heard me sing. Got it?” the captain said with a powerful glare. But when his classmate didn’t answer, he said again, _“Got it?”_

“Ha-hai…”

“Good.”

Akagi stifled down his laughter by doubling his lips and clutching his stomach. “Did you have be such a yakuza?” he snickered.

“Yes.” The captain replied. “Who knows what could happen later on? I don’t want the entire class to find out that I can sing. Then it’ll spread to the entire grade level and then to the rest of the school!”

“So? You’re not the only one with a beautiful voice at school.” Akagi shrugged. “Well, let me correct that statement. You aren’t the only one that can sing, but your voice is the most beautiful that I’ve heard.” He then added, “Look at the choir. They’re a bunch that breathes singing. So what of it?”

Kasamatsu sighed. “You don’t understand. I’m thinking about school festival. If they find out I can sing, who knows what shit they’d want me to do on stage.”

“But you’re an idol and soon-to-be-frontman. You’re supposed to be used to performing on a stage in front of people.”

Kasamatsu was not pleased. “Seriously, I’m going to strangle you one of these days.”

Akagi made a playful yet mischievous face and said, “Choke me Daddy,” before bursting out in full blown laughter. At that moment, Kasamatsu stood up, grabbed his chair and made a swing at Akagi’s head. Sadly, the boy managed to avoid it, and escaped out in the hallway.

But, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. As a basketball player of Kaijou, Kasamatsu was fast, _too_ fast and caught him within a blink.

“I was just joking Kasamatsu. It’s a new slang that even has tons of memes on the internet. Don’t be so cold! Come on…”

But the Blue Elite said nothing but dragged his friend up the stairs leading to the school roof. And there, the entire school could hear the wailing sounds of a poor soul in agony.

_xxxx_

After school, Kenji picked up his troublesome boys but before they headed to the venue, Kenji carried them to the stylist. All their hairs had grown out, and even though Kise clipped his and Takao’s, Kuroko, Kagami and Kasamatsu never trusted the blond with a scissor in their hairs.

But Kasamatsu had it worst than the others. His hair has a faster growth rate than the others, which he was not happy about. Kise never stopped hounding him to cut it, the blond even wanted to give him a “hot” hairdo.

Soon, they reached their destination and all five were quickly seated in the chairs, Kise and Takao humming in delight as they already knew what they wanted. Kagami and Kasamatsu looked uneasy and pensive; Kuroko was still reading his novel.

“So, boys, what shall it be today?” the stylist asked.

“I want my bangs out of my face.” Kise said, using a breath to blow the golden strands upwards for a second. “I want a cool hairstyle fit for a drummer!”

The stylist looked confused. “Drummers _typically_ have long hair. Cutting yours would be against drumming code, wouldn’t it?”

“It’s only temporary.” Kise reasoned with a shrug. “I have Inter-High coming up; the bangs are becoming a hindrance.”

“I see.” The stylist then looked to Takao, who seemed to be beaming. “And you?”

“Hit me with your best shot.”

“I got you.” He said with a wink before looking to Kasamatsu and the other three. He made a gesture to them, indicating that they should speak up.

“Surprise me.” Was all Kasamatsu uttered. He didn’t follow up hairstyles, so he didn’t think he needed to worry too much.

“I want my usual hairstyle.” Kagami said.

Kuroko just shrugged.

So, with that done, the stylist and his assistants went to work. The five sat in the chair and watched half with dread, half with nonchalance upon seeing shreds of their hairs falling to the floor.

Within thirty minutes or more, and Kenji applauded a job well done. His boys looked absolutely stunning.

Kagami sported a piecey flat hairstyle which features short sides rest beneath long strands of straightened hair. His hair was cut into layers and lightly tousled with mousse to give it a textured effect after which the hair is then brushed forward and serves as bangs. Kuroko’s hair was cut stylishly —his front bangs were cut in the shaggy bowl cut style, but the sides were done short and the back was an undercut that reached to his earlobe. Takao wore “the comma” hairstyle, in which his hair was done in a side part, and the right front bangs were clipped and styled, resembling a comma while the left remained short.

Kise’s hair was styled in the shaggy layered hairstyle —the blond’s front volumed bangs sat neatly on his eyebrows giving him a stylish look with a boyishly sexy air. Last but not least was Kasamatsu, whose hair was in the faux hawk with no undercut hairstyle. The front fringe and crown were done upwards, while the sides were clipped short but not too short to resemble a skin fade, so too the back. It gave the captain a boyish appeal thanks to its shagginess as well.  

“Wow Senpai! You should totally keep that hairstyle in!” Kise shrieked as Kasamatsu spun around in the chair to face them. “You look _stunning!”_

“You’re over-exaggerating.” The captain sighed as he rose from the seat.

“On the contrary, Kise-kun is not being dramatic at all this time.” Kenji said with a nod. “You’re quite dashing.”

“See? Even Reiko-nee thinks he looks great!” the blond shrieked as he turned the phone’s screen towards them.

Startled, Kasamatsu asked, “What? How?”

“I took a picture, duh.”

“When?!”

“Obviously when you weren’t looking.” The blond deadpanned.

“Well, you can ogle each other all you want later, we’re late.” Kenji said.

“Good.” Kise smiled before sitting cross-legged in the chair once again. “Let them wait.”

Kenji sighed in distress. “I suggest you get your asses in the damn car now.”

“Hai, hai.” They hummed as they trudged out. Waving goodbye to the stylist and his assistants, they hopped into the van and headed to their destination. At first, Kenji wanted them to change out of their school uniforms but the boys felt extremely lazy and couldn’t bother with all that. At least they had on their shades and with these hairstyles; no one would ever guess it’s them.

Within a couple hours of driving, they finally reached the venue. It was the same place as the show; however, this time it seemed as though they weren’t going to be on a set. A worker had met them and carried down a long hallway, seeming to be going where the offices were.

Soon, they stopped at a double door, where they could hear mumblings coming from the other side.

“Right this way.” The worker said as she walked to another double door and slid it open.

The boys nodded and looked through, immediately being greeted by camera flashes, bright lightning and chatter. There was a long table on the stage, with the producers and organizers of the _Challenge._

“What’s all those people and camera doing here?” Kagami whispered, looking back to Kenji who was behind them.

“It is a public apology, Kagami-kun.” Kenji deadpanned. “And given the fact that this incident has even pissed off Germany, then by all means, gather the entire nation’s journalists for this.” He said half in sarcasm.

“Shit.” Kasamatsu sighed.

“That is why, you should be careful of how you speak.” The manager added. “You could be in this mess a lot if you don’t watch your mouths.”

“Note taken.”

Soon, the men and sole woman politely greeted the journalists before inviting the five boys on as well.

So, Catal Rhythm strutted forwards, a menacing aura seeping out of their bodies. There were smiles present on their faces, however, they weren’t of joy —they were the types that said “you’re lucky cameras are here. You’d be ripped to shreds.”

The air suddenly got heavy, and when the boys sat in their seats, the tension was so thick that people were starting to _see_ it. About a minute or two of silence, the producer gathered himself and spoke,

“On behalf of the _Challenge’s_ organizers, and all other personnel involved, we’d like to offer our sincerest apologies.” The producer started. “What we did was inexcusable, unjust and we had no right to do such a thing to you five.

“In addition, we would like to apologize to Yuki-san for putting him through that unfair situation. We deeply regret our actions. And as such, we would like to offer a rematch to both N.O.T.E. and Catal Rhythm which would be judged fairly and —”

“No, there’s no need.” Kagami said, cutting them off. Although he hadn’t meant for everyone to hear, his mouth was right at the mic.

Everyone stopped and looked at the five.

Doing damage control, Kasamatsu quickly said, “A rematch isn’t necessary. You’ve already apologized so there’s no need to go that far.” He mustered the most polite voice in his arsenal. Even though the aura seeping out of his body would make anyone run in fear.

“But…”

“ _There. Is. No. Need_.” The captain said once again, this time in a stronger tone than before. Taking a breath to calm himself, Kasamatsu continued, “It’ll just cause more trouble than it’s worth. Let’s say we’ll win the rematch. There are people out there who’ll make a fuss saying that “Catal Rhythm only won because their questions were easier,” or “the producers made it so that they’ll win because of what happened last time” and blah.” He sighed. “I’m not about that life. This is enough drama. So, let’s just end it here, and move on.”

“Ah…”

Meanwhile, outside the door, Kenji raked a hand through his hair when he heard Kasamatsu speak. “Shit, I never knew Kasamatsu-kun had an inner yakuza.”

“So Yuki-san, how do you feel about what happened at the show?” one journalist blurted out. This wasn’t supposed to be a part of it.

“There is no word in the Japanese lexicon that’s able to accurately describe how _mad_ I was, and still is.” Kasamatsu answered.

“Is that so?” the journalist was stunned by the eldest teen’s words.

“Yes it is. What was done to my boys was cruel and unforgivable.”

“You say what was done was “unforgivable”, but you’re being offered an apology which to me, it seemed like you accepted. How can you explain this?”

Kasamatsu sighed. “In truth, not only me, but the five of us find it unforgivable. But in this industry, we have to be hypocritical because if we spoke the truth and say “we don’t accept your apology because it isn’t genuine”, the entire nation will come down on us and say things like “who are they to not accept these people’s apologies” and make a mountain out of an anthill.” He explained. “So, to let peace reign, we’re going to accept an apology and move on with our lives, because apparently, idols aren’t viewed as human beings with emotions.”

“Hmm? What makes you think that?”

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. “Obviously, if we were to express how we truly felt, as I said before, people would make a mountain out of an anthill saying that “we’re not fit to be idols” and blah, because the mainstream idols these days keep everything bottled up in front of cameras and only smile like everything’s alright when it’s not.”

“Ah…” the journalist couldn’t counter this one because it was a fact.

“Which means, as much as we want to snap their necks and send them to hell, we can’t because idols aren’t supposed to express themselves like every other average Joe of this country.” Kise sighed. “It’s sad.”

“It’s not sad, it’s unhealthy.” Kuroko joined in. “Keeping things bottled up is unhealthy.”

“Which will lead to sadness.”

Outside, Kenji couldn’t believe what he was hearing and fainted due to the shock. The very thing he had _just_ warned them about was unfolding before his eyes. Although it was something that needed to be heard, the young manager had a feeling that his boys had just created another storm.

The whole room was enveloped in loud chatter and boisterous outbursts, and the five were close to getting up and leaving. They were told about an apology, not a questions and answers session. Questions were directed at them from every corner of the room, and as much as their mouths were burning to reply, they remembered Kenji’s wise words and simply said,

“We can’t answer your questions because —”

“This will be enough for my boys.” Kenji came in and said in one of the mics. “Thank you for your time.” And with a polite bow, Kenji ushered his five boys out before all hell breaks loose. But he knew this wasn’t the end, the apology hadn’t ended because he saw the lengthy paper in one of the other parties’ hands. If Kagami hadn’t said what he did, and if the journalist hadn’t asked the questions, then the producer or whoever he was would still be reading his apology.

“Boys, what did I just say about watching your mouths?” Kenji hissed as they made their way back to the van.

“Did we say anything wrong?” Takao asked.

Kenji stopped and eyed Kise. “No not really, but Kise-kun did.”

“Whaat?” he drawled. “I didn’t.”

“If I recall, you said “as much as you wanted to snap their necks and send them to hell”, right?”

“Yeah…they needed to know how angry I was!” he huffed. “Keeping things bottled up is unhealthy, you know?”

Kenji sighed. “I know. I heard Kuroko-kun.”

They climbed in the van smoothly and flawlessly as if doing one of their routines. But all throughout this, Kenji watched them with a concerned gaze. The future was still unknown to either of them, but given how truthful yet fearless these boys were, the manager had a feeling that they’ll be the ones who’ll end up shaking up the idol world —not in terms of amazing routines and vocals, but in touchy topics such as this.

“I am going to have a headache.” He mumbled as he drove off.  

_xxxx_

After conference, the boys were dropped off at Makio’s by Kenji. Now that they’ve been given the clear, Catal Rhythm set out to perfect the two songs even though Kise and Takao were a bit disappointed that they weren’t going to use neither _Clock Strikes_ nor _Kasabuta._ As even though for the latter song, Kasamatsu only had a verse, it was still a pretty powerful song, but the leader argued and said:

_“We can’t let the President feel too much. Et Cetera is enough, right?”_

He had a point, but still, Takao _really_ wanted Kasamatsu to sing _Kasabuta_ as well.

As such, throughout the following days, most of their times were spent at Makio’s after basketball practice and before vocal training, Kise even managed to swindle the older man’s key and create duplicates for each of them.

However, it was in their latest practice session that they told Kasamatsu they needed a house for themselves because coming all the way to Yokohama just to practice was really tiresome. That would make the captain quip, by saying:

“So why are you telling _me_ this?”

And Kise would feisty answer back, “Because you’ll be at the legal age to buy one soon.”

Kasamatsu laughed, clutching his stomach while he was at it. “You idiot! The legal age is twenty not eighteen!” The captain howled with hysterical laughter.

“But didn’t they move the age of majority to eighteen the other day? I saw it Senpai!”

Kasamatsu shook his head. “Kise, they lowered the age of voting, that’s what you saw.”

“Shit.”

But during their practice, Makio had returned to torture them but it was here that Kise dropped the bomb on the poor man.

“Hey, Makicchi,” the blond started. “You’re going to be our manager.”

Makio froze on the spot. “Excuse me? What?” Kise didn’t even ask, his tone of voice sounded like a command rather than a statement. Even Kasamatsu was a little shocked, Kuroko seemed unperturbed, Takao kept his eyes on Makio and Kagami…he couldn’t believe that Kise was so bold. Still, the four realized that choosing Makio made sense. How awkward it would have been if they outsourced some stranger.

“Why?” the drummer asked.

“Because you’re perfect! You were in a band, so you know how things work.”

“But…” Makio started but trailed off. “…I have Euphoria to run and my brother to take care of. I can’t be your manager.” He added. “Plus, you didn’t even ask!”

“What are you talking about?” Kise countered. “Of course I did.”

Makio was not amused. “Ryou, you were demanding me.”

Kise smiled. “ _Demander_ is the verb for “to ask” in French, no?”

“Motherfu—” Makio broke off when he remembered that there were four other teenagers in the room. Can’t have them hearing such foul language. “You’re Japanese! How does French get into this!?” he screeched. “My answer is no and that’s final!”

“Makicchi! Don’t be so stubborn!”

“You’re being unfair, you little brat!”

“It’s alright; I can _always_ talk to Onee-chan or even Reiko-nee.” Kise said, seemingly to calm down. He fished his phone out of his pocket and what was more; he didn’t seem hurt that his teacher had ruthlessly rejected him.

Makio gasped in horror with widened eyes, realizing what the blond was going to do. “You wouldn’t _dare.”_ He hissed.

“Apparently, you don’t know who your soon-to-be-brother-in-law is.”  Kise smirked.

Makio succumbed to the blond’s wishes.  There was no way he was going to be subjected to his fiancée’s and her sister’s tempestuous rage. “Fine. But only temporary until you actually get a proper manager!” he huffed.

Kise grinned deviously. “Temporary? Don’t be delusional. You’ll be with us until you die.” He mumbled beneath his breath but the others heard it clear as day. And to say that they never looked at Kise the same would be an understatement. The blond was extremely scary.

“So…” Makio started, deep down he was still bitter since Kise used an underhanded tactic to lure him in. “…how much am I getting paid?”

“When we get to that bridge, we’ll see how best we can cross it.” Kise said.

“You bitch!” Makio snapped. “Do you know what managers do?! I have to be your advocate, consigliere, crisis intervention specialist and therapist! And knowing you, your mouth alone is a breeding ground for a public nightmare! I will be stressed! And you’re gonna look at me, and say something like that?! I need to know if my pay-check will be worth it!”

Kise gasped. “I’m not a bitch! I’m a male! And you won’t be stressed! You’re overreacting!”

“I’ll show you what’s overreacting!” Makio snapped, grabbing Kise in his collar.

“See? You’re overreacting!”

“I’m not!”

“Is too!”

“Not!”

Throughout their argument, the others looked at the two with a tinge of amusement. Their argument was funny, even though both males were serious. But in the end, Makio completely submitted due to Kise bringing up his sisters yet again.

“Are Ruiko-san and Rei-chan _that_ scary?” Takao asked. “I can’t see it.”

Makio turned white as a sheet. “You have no idea. They’re ruthless thugs! The whole family!” he then shot Kise a glare, who seemed to be feigning ignorance. “Don’t let their pretty faces deceive you!”

“Seriously?”

“Yes!” the drummer shrieked.

“Makicchi,” Kise started with a chuckle, “You’re overreacting.”

“I’m not!”

Kise then looked to Kasamatsu and asked, “Senpai, do you believe him?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Just curious.”

“Then why didn’t you ask Kuroko or anyone else if they believed him?”

“Because this has nothing to do with them.”

“Then how does —?” he cut himself off. He realized exactly why Kise would ask him such a thing, and frankly, he couldn’t believe his ace. “Why are you so hellbent on this?”

“I told this before Senpai,” Kise smiled darkly. “You’re the only one that is good enough for my sister.” He inched closer to his captain after which he placed a hand on his shoulder. “And I will stop at nothing to make it happen.”

Makio whistled. “You poor soul.” But then, he broke out in laughter. At least he’d have someone to suffer with. “Let’s band together, Kasamatsu-kun. When you get older, let’s drink our hearts out at the fact that the women we love have a psycho brother who may very well kill us in our sleep if we break our girlfriends’ hearts!” he slung an arm over the young man, the others stifling their laughter.

“This is not how I imagined what having my first girlfriend would be like.” Kasamatsu mumbled.

“Hoh?” Takao smirked. “I see what’s happening here.”

“Shut up!” Kasamatsu blushed as he took up his guitar. “Let’s —let’s get to work!”

“Right~!” they replied in a sing-song voice. Kise flew over to his drum set and sat on his throne, rubbing the sticks together. Kuroko silently sauntered over to where his keyboard was, and tested out a few keys before putting on his headphones. Kagami and Takao swiftly strapped on their guitars on their bodies, so too did Kasamatsu.

Makio sat before the five cross-legged, using his fingers to count down when they’ll start. When he made a fist, that’s when they began, Kuroko and his keyboard starting.  

 

…

 

By the time the five were done, it was minutes after eight o’clock, but Makio was impressed. There were a many times when they had to stop and change some arrangements, but for the guitars, it was superb —well, Kasamatsu was. His skill in playing the instrument was really top-notch, but there was something the drummer noticed in his bodily movements.

“Kasamatsu-kun, you like to move around, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yeah…” the teen said as he looked down. He knew what Makio was coming with. “…it’s gonna be hard playing the guitar and singing, isn’t it.”

The drummer nodded. “Even if you use a head-worn mic or whatever, just having an instrument strapped to you will be a hindrance.”

Kasamatsu sighed. He had been mulling over that for quite some time, but thought that he could work around it. He _loved_ playing the guitar, but it seems as though it was just not meant to be.

“Wait, so what’s gonna happen?” Kagami asked. “If Senpai can’t play the lead then…?”

“Takao will play it.” Kasamatsu cut in.

“Eh?!” the hawk-eyed boy was shocked. “Me?”

Kasamatsu nodded. “The Lead and Rhythm are two sides of the same coin. Once I teach you what to do, you’ll be just fine.”

“O-okay.” He stuttered.

“Now that that problem has been solved, is there anything else that you’re unsure about?” Makio asked. “I have time before opening.”

“Well, I don’t want to be the sole vocalist because all of us can sing. But they insist that.” Kasamatsu started. “I want the world to hear their voices too.”

“Oh.” Makio nodded. “Did you think of anything?”

“Well, I thought that when we perform our songs live, they could sing like a verse or join in on the chorus or something, but I wanted their voices to be on the studio version too.”

“Yu-chan! We’ve been over this! The world doesn’t need to hear us! You’re the one with the most beautiful voice out of all of us!” Takao countered. “Calm down.”

“No! I can’t do that!”

Before their argument escalated, Makio said, “Hear what, why don’t you have two vocalists then?” he suggested. “Like, Kasamatsu-kun would be the main and whoever else would be the other one.”

Just then, Kuroko had a stroke of genius. Placing his hands on the keys to gain their attentions, the light blue haired teen spoke, “Rock bands usually release their songs in album format right?” they nodded although it was a rhetorical question. “So why can’t we release a full length album _and_ a mini-one at the time?”

“Two CDs in the one package?” Kasamatsu asked.

Kuroko nodded. “And that way, Kasamatsu-senpai can be the voice on the full length album and Takao-kun can be the voice on the mini album.”

“Makes sense, makes sense.” Kise agreed.

“Wait! _I’m_ the other vocalist?! Since when?!” Takao screeched. “I was not informed of this!”

“Since a while ago.” Kuroko deadpanned.

“But what about you?” Kasamatsu asked.

Kuroko shrugged. “Hidden track, maybe.”

“Kagami? Kise?”

“Same.”

“Hmm…” Makio hummed. “That can work. I mean, rock bands do what they want. They aren’t so heavily restricted like idols are.”

Kasamatsu heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I’m not the only one that’s going to be in the spotlight.”

“Yu-chan, get used to it.” Takao said.

“I’m shy!”

“Says Leader-sama of pop idol group Catal Rhythm.” Kuroko teased.

“How could you!?” Kasamatsu screeched in betrayal.

Kise let out a gasp as though something happened. All eyes looked to him, wondering what the cause of his behaviour was.

“If Takaocchi is the other vocalist, then doesn’t that mean Senpai would be the lead guitarist during that time?”

“Well yeah. Since Kazu-kun will be singing, it makes sense that Kasamatsu would play the lead.” Makio shrugged. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Hearing this, Kasamatsu had a pleasant smile on his face. He’d get to play the guitar. He’d get to rile up the crowd like all his favourite guitarists have, driving them into a blissful frenzy.

“I’m satisfied.” He said out loud.

“No shit.” Kagami laughed. “Look at your face!”

“What’s wrong with my face?!”

“You look like you’re thinking about Rei-chan again.” Takao snickered. “That’s the only time you make _that_ face.”

Kasamatsu reddened and hid behind his guitar. “N—No!” he stuttered. “W—wh—where did you get tha—that from?!”

“Holy shit.” Makio howled with laughter. “Are you hearing yourself?! You’re stammering so bad you can’t form a sentence properly!”

“Shut up!”

“He’s blushing!” Kise shrieked out and made a lunge to pry the guitar from Kasamatsu’s face. “Come on, let me take a picture~!”

“Get away from me!”

“Kagamicchi! Hold his arms! Takaocchi, get the legs!” the blond commanded. “Kurokocchi, you take the picture! I’ll hold him in place!”

“Stay away!” the captain screeched, dashing from them.

Ignoring the five boys, Makio looked at the clock mounted on the wall and sighed. It was almost opening time. He got up and walked to the door while the boys were still trying to get a picture of Kasamatsu’s blushing face (although by now he’s more murderous).

“Boys, I gotta go. When you’re ready to leave, you know what to do.”

“Hai~!” they chirped.

“No! Don’t leave me with them!” Kasamatsu screamed, struggling against Kise’s choke hold. Being a martial artist, the blond had a frightening grip.

Makio smiled. “I’ll leave you to suffer.”

He shut the door behind him, ignoring the screams and wails coming from the room.

_xxxx_

On the way back, Kasamatsu was murderous. He made sure to sit beside Kenji this time, because he knew he would have killed them. As for the other four —Kise and Takao were humming in delight although they didn’t get a picture of Kasamatsu’s blushing face, Kuroko was reading as usual and Kagami was listening to music.

“Kenji-san,” Kasamatsu started, gaining the manager’s attention.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Can we invite people over?”

Kenji laughed. “Of course you can. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

“I don’t know. I just thought that…because…you know…”

“You can bring over anyone you want, but no truckload of girls.”

Kasamatsu snorted, “Tell that to Kise. He’s the one who knows a truckload of girls.”

With a smile, Kenji continued, “But, if you are going to invite people over, I need to know who they are, their relations to you and when they will be coming. You don’t know what can happen.”

Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow in confusion but only replied, “Right…”

“Why the sudden question?”

“Kise’s birthday is coming up.”

“Oh.”

The remainder of the journey was quiet, even the noisy duo of Kise and Takao had long stopped humming and singing. Kenji found it odd, and thought that they were secretly planning something against him. He knew for a fact that Kasamatsu was concerned with Kise’s birthday as he’d just indicated, but what about Kagami? The redhead was _always_ arguing with Kise or _something,_ Takao would be giggling at their antics or singing a random song, Kuroko was his usual self.

Without worrying too much, Kenji focused on the road before him.

_xxxx_

Finally, the five were home, after having vocal practice with Akamine and Foreign Language with Ichinose. They were beat, but at least, they were getting used to their busy schedules.

“Hey, Kise,” Kasamatsu started, “Could you go ask Kenji-san about the whole house thing you mentioned to me?”

“Eh?” the blond screeched. “Why me?” Kasamatsu’s face darkened. “Alright, alright, I’m going!”

“Good boy.”

As soon as the blond exited the house, Kasamatsu assembled the other three. They were in the living room, comfortably seated in the sofa and armchairs.

“So, there’s only one reason why we’re all here right now.” The captain started, constantly peering over his shoulder to see if Kise was coming back. “Kise’s birthday is coming up. What the hell are we doing for him?”

“The standard.” Takao shrugged. “Throw him a party, but where?”

“Here. We can invite people, Kenji-san said. But no truckload of girls.”

“Pfft! As if we know that much girls.” Takao laughed.

“If we throw him the party, can I bury that pretty face in a pie first?” Kagami said while sinisterly rubbing his hands together.

“Why Kagami-kun?” Kuroko asked.

“It’s standard birthday procedure.” The ace grinned.

“I see.”

 

…

 

“Kenji-san!” Kise called as he pressed the doorbell incessantly.

“I’m coming! Jeez!” the blond heard a shout from the other side of the mechanism. He chuckled a little, but then returned to his original state. He wasn’t at all thrilled that he had to tell Kenji about the space issue while the rest of them were busy lounging at home. “Kise-kun?” the door opened, revealing the manager.

“Ah, do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” Kenji opened the door wider, indicating that he should enter. “What’s the problem?”

“Well, it’s about our space.” Kise started. “It’s going to be a hassle to always have to go to Makicchi’s to practice with our electrical instruments, but we can’t keep them at home because there isn’t enough space to fit them, the mics and amplifiers needed _plus_ our acoustic instruments. So we were thinking of —”

Kenji held up a hand to stop the blond. “Say no more.”

“Eh?”

“You said you want more space, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Follow me.”

“Eh?”

Kenji chuckled and led the blond out of his house and instead of going towards the elevator down the hall; they turned right and headed in the opposite direction. Reaching the end of the hallway, they stopped at a wide double door at which Kenji punched in a code on the keypad and soon, the double doors slid open.

A clean hallway revealed itself —on the left was the glass door like the one they had  at their current home, which lead to the balcony while on the right, there were four doors placed at intervals.

“What’s here?” Kise asked.

“You realized that the building where you practice your choreo and have vocal training looks relatively new, right?”

Kise nodded. “I thought it was refurbished.”

“Nope. It was recently built, like seven or so years ago.” Kenji said. “Before, our idols had to do everything here since they lived where you and the others are now.”

“Oh.”

“But now that the Arts Building has been constructed, Dad didn’t know what to do with here and ended up turning it into a living space.” The manager said as he pushed open the first of the four doors. It led to an empty, wide open room with a large mirror spanning the entire right wall. As they walked across the space, they headed to a door that was nestled in the top left hand corner. But Kise saw another door on the adjacent wall and decided to take a look. Exiting, the blond saw another identical room to the one they’re currently in.

“Come on,” Kenji urged, standing by the door.

But seeing the sheer size of the rooms, Kise couldn’t help but ask, “They’re huge. What were they before, dance practice rooms?”

“Yup!” Kenji replied.

The duo left through the door, into another space. On their left and right were rooms smaller than the practice ones, and were also empty. They continued on, Kenji showed Kise the bathroom which was next to the smaller room on their right.

“Oh ~ I like!” Kise cooed as he saw the tiled space. Drool was even tempting to leave his mouth. Leaving from the bathroom, they entered into the living room and kitchen area which, thankfully was furbished.

The kitchen was to the right in an L-shape, with the cupboards, counters and sinks, drawers taking up the entire wall. There was no fridge but that was the very least. An island was present as well, with stylish chairs surrounding it.

Kise swept his brown eyes to the living room, where he saw a TV, identical to the one they have back home, but the blond soon realized that there was no sofa. Instead, there was a…square sofa in the floor?

“Kenji-san, what the hell is that?” he asked as he pointed.

“Oh, it’s a square conversation pit. You’ve never seen one?”

“Conversation… _pit?”_  Kise’s face twisted at the word. Conversation is a good thing, but the word “pit” isn’t usually used for anything worthwhile. “No, I’ve never seen one.”

Kenji chuckled. “Dad is a bit old-fashioned so…”

“I can tell by his age.” Kise deadpanned.

Kenji stifled a laugher and walked past the pit towards the double doors and genkan with shoe storage. Exiting from that door, they ended up back into the hallway that faced the balcony.

“Wow.” Kise started, looking back at the place. “If your Dad refurbished that, who was he going to sell it or rent it to?”

Kenji shrugged. “Anyone who wanted it.”

“But why hasn’t anyone…?”

“The idols present don’t know about it because they weren’t around then. And no ordinary person wants to live on the same floor as idols. You lot are a rowdy bunch, you know?”

“Isn’t there soundproofing?”

“Yes, but now that Diverse are back, you’ll hear them and Perfect 5th in the hallways cussing each other out a lot more often and Triple Threat trying to ease them off each other. It’s quite an amusing watch, the idiots.” He mumbled the latter sentence before continuing, “That and fans are quite… _persistent_ when they want to be noticed.”

“Ah, they’ll camp outside won’t they?” he totally disregarded the first sentence about Diverse, Perfect 5th, and Triple Threat.”

“Exactly.”

“So…why are the rooms so big?” Kise asked again. “I can understand with the two rooms that were dance practice areas, but the others, especially the kitchen…”

“Well, it’s because more than one group would be practicing at the same time. So, after practice, they’d usually cook for each other, which is why the kitchen needed to so big, and they’d all eat in the living room, that explains the conversation pit and not a regular sofa.”

“Oh.” But Kise couldn’t be happier. “So that’s ours now, right?”

“Yeah, I’d have to tell Dad.”

“Then tell him before someone else comes for it!”

Kenji jerked back at the sudden outburst. “I already did. Calm down, Kise-kun.”

“You can do that? There’s isn’t any need for formal requests?”

Kenji sighed. “Yes. But I simply gave him a heads up. When I get back I’m write up the proper request.”

Kise sniffed, pretending to wipe a non-existent tear. “I love you, Kenjicchi!”

“What…?” Kenji asked before his mind processed what the blond said. “Don’t call me that abomination!”

“Too late~!” the blond sang as he skipped off to the double doors. But he was halted as there was a keypad there. Kenji had to input the code for them to get out. Seeing this, Kise made a mental note to never piss off Kasamatsu. If he isn’t quick enough, the captain could still catch him and slaughter his mischievous behind.

“Now run along and tell the others to start packing. I don’t think this’ll take a week.”

“Sure!” Kise skipped to home with a bright grin on his face. Opening the door and taking his shoes off at the genkan, the screeched, _“Senpai!”_

“What? What the hell is it?” Kasamatsu asked, covering his ears.

“What took you so long too?” Takao asked, trying to hide that he was actually glad for the blond’s lengthy abscence.

“I was looking at our new house.” The blond huffed.

The others paused immediately, even Kagami, who had been in the kitchen, peered around the wall, to see if his ears were deceiving him.

“Excuse me…what?” Kuroko asked, looking over the top of his novel.

“I said, I was looking at our new house.” Kise grinned. “Long story short, our boss had refurbished a place where idols of the past used to practice in and now it’s ours to live in.”

“Oh.” They gave out.

“So where is it?” Kagami asked from the kitchen.

“Third floor still. But the entrance is a double door down that side.” He said as he pointed in the direction. “It’s perfect Senpai! We can use one room for our acoustic instruments and the other for our electrical ones! And the bathroom! God!” he shrieked in delight.

“So…why didn’t you come call us?” Takao huffed. “We wanted to see it too!”

“I wasn’t thinking! It was just so sudden! Almost as though Kenjicchi was waiting for me to tell him something like this!”

“Ah…”

“And he said to start packing because it shouldn’t take a week.”

“What shouldn’t?”

“Probably the request for us to move, I don’t know.”

“Before we should even consider moving, let’s eat dinner first. I can’t lift shit while starving.” Kasamatsu mumbled.

“Right you are, Senpai. Right you are.”

But little did Kise know that him taking a long time to return was actually a blessing to them. He was in for quite the birthday surprise.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used is One Ok Rock's "Et Cetera"


	32. Chapter 32

 

 ...

...

 

“What do you want for breakfast?” Kasamatsu asked as he put on his apron.

“Pancakes!” Takao belted.

“Sandwiches!” Kise added.

“Anything.” Kuroko mumbled.

“Both.” Kagami grinned.

Kasamatsu twitched with annoyance before he said, “Well, pancakes it is.”

“Senpai!” Kise wailed at his choice being overlooked. “Why?”

But as soon as Kasamatsu started, Kenji came through the front door, with a bright smile on his face. With raised eyebrows, the boys awaited the manager’s announcement. Whenever Kenji smiles like that, it’s either Hikaru is going to kill them, they’re going to be on a variety show and look like idiots, or _something_ which neither of them will like.

“Guess what boys,” the manager started. “You can start your move by this evening.”

“Eh? That was fast.” Takao whistled. “I thought it’ll take a week.”

Kenji shook his head. “It’s just a simple request. All I needed was a “yes” or “no” so naturally Dad will look at it almost immediately.”

“Oh.”

“So, start packing your things and moving them over little by little, okay?” the manager said with a smile at his five boys.

“What are you talking about?! All we have to move is our clothes and shoes!” Kagami guffawed. “You sound as though we’ll be moving the furniture too!”

“Right?!” Takao joined in.

“Whatever. You’ll be moving your utensils too and other things right?” Kenji said with an eye roll. But then he added, “And let me know when you plan on moving your instruments from Makio-san’s.”

The room fell into an abrupt silence.

Kenji saw his five boys look at each other before breaking out in grins. He shook his head with a chuckle, realizing that the others were rubbing off on Kuroko. When he had first met the boy, he gave off the impression that he was the stoic type, and even the others had said that Kuroko was the expressionless type. But these days, the light-blue haired teen was full of emotions, especially around his fellow idiots.

“You can move them now!” Kenji heard Takao chirp. “I can’t wait to start!”

“No!” Kise strongly objected. “We have to paint the place first!”

“Right…and we didn’t even get to paint here yet.” The hawk-eyed boy mumbled.

“Alright, alright,” Kenji started, “there’s no need to worry about here. You’re moving remember?”

“Hmm…”

“One final thing,” Kenji started again, “How’s your planning for Ai-Fest coming on? Still sticking with the first ideas?”

“Yup!” Takao and Kise chirped while the other three simply nodded.

“Okay, if there are any chances, let me know immediately no matter how crazy it is.”

“Will do!”

When Kenji left, Kasamatsu returned to the kitchen and fixed his boys their food. Kise kept sulking that his captain had chosen pancakes over him, but when Kasamatsu was done, Kise got the shock of his life.

“Here.”

“Senpai…I thought…”

“You’re my annoying ace; obviously I’m going to give you what you want.”

“Really?”

“It’s the sad truth.”

“I love you~!” the blond screeched as he threw himself towards his captain. And for once, Kasamatsu didn’t avoid him.

“You know, I wonder if Yu-chan had been girl, would Ryou-chan still throw himself on him—her like that?” Takao thought out loud. “Or would he have been more reserved or something?”

“Of course he’d still throw himself on Kasamatsu.” Kagami and Kuroko deadpanned.

“E —enough chatter!” Kasamatsu barked, pushing off Kise. He had heard them clear as day about him being a girl. “You have school!”

“But if Senpai was a girl, then…I think she’d find me repulsive or something. But yeah, I’d still lock her in my embrace. After all, she’d be shorter than me, right?” Kise grinned.

Kasamatsu glared at his ace. “I’ll strangle you.”

Kise smirked, “Reiko-nee would say, “Choke me Daddy”.”

Kasamatsu’s face reddened with a heated blush before he dashed towards the ace. “I’m going to kill you!” he screamed. This was the second time that someone said this to Kasamatsu and he was not at all pleased. Kise on the other hand, sprinted out the front door quickly, and towards Kenji’s house in hopes that the manager would save him.

Meanwhile, the other three laughed at the Blue Elites’ antics.

“Never a dull moment.” Takao laughed.

_xxxx_

After their hectic morning, and Kenji managing to calm Kasamatsu down, the five boys headed out to school. Of course, Kise and Kasamatsu took the bus since Kaijou was nearby, while the Tokyo boys were dropped off by Kenji.

The first thing Kasamatsu and Kise noticed the moment they stepped through Kaijou’s gates were that some of the students were gazing in what seemed to be a magazine. At first, Kise thought nothing of it, as it was the same whenever a fashion or any other magazine came out.

But, upon closer inspection, they realized that the magazine was _Idol Monthly,_ the same magazine that they had done the interview for. That meant, this issue in the hands of the students was the same one with their interview, the same one that Kenji got mad at them for.

“Oh shit.” The two looked at each other with fright. But scanning their memories, they heaved a sigh of relief as they hadn’t said anything revealing. No one at their school would be able to accurately guess who “Yuki” and “Sunn” were from the interview.

So after changing their shoes at the locker area, they went their separate ways, for once Kise wasn’t hounded about his supposed identity. Kasamatsu on the other hand, had another thing coming.

He stepped through the door of his class and suddenly, he felt all eyes on him. It was awkward, even as though he made his way to his seat, he could feel the stares like searing heat against his skin. Quickly, he took out his phone and plugged in his new headphones to tune out his surroundings.

“Kasamatsu,” a male classmate said as he poked his arm to gain his attention.

Startled, he took off his headphones and looked at him, the _Evanescence_ song blasting loudly. “Yes?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did.”

“You like rock music, right?”

“No, that’s why I’m listening to _Evanescence_ right now.” The captain spat with sarcasm.

Unperturbed, the classmate continued, “Are you planning on going to any festival this year?”

“Summer Sonic.”

“And your name is Yukio —”

“Oi,” the captain stopped him, looking extremely irritated. “You said you wanted to ask me “a question”. Why is this turning into an interrogation?” he nearly snapped. _“What do you want?”_

“Uh, ah, it’s just…” the classmate looked confused as he constantly looked behind his back. With a defeated sigh, he said, “It’s just that the girls over there think you might be Yuki of Catal Rhythm.”

“Really?” the captain said offhandedly. “Is that so?”

The classmate looked at him with suspicion because of his attitude. But then again, this was Kasamatsu. He _always_ has attitude when his music was interrupted. “Yes, they do.”

“Good for them then.”

“Kasamatsu, why are you —”

“Kasamatsu!” a scream took him out of his ordeal. The captain looked to the door and saw Akagi, with the brightest smile that may rival Kise’s. “Tickets go on sale today at six!”

Completely ignoring the other classmate, Kasamatsu perked up, “Great!” he paused his music and fiddled on his phone, “Let me set everything up so I don’t have to scramble like the other peasants.”

“Yup!” the hyped teen chirped as he sat in his seat. “Man, I can’t wait to see Lynkyn Park!”

“Just to let you know, I’m going to be losing my shit the moment they come on.” Kasamatsu said with a laugh.

“Pfft!” Akagi chuckled. “ _Everyone_ is going to be losing their shit.”

 _“Kasamatsu!”_  the classmate said strongly to regain the captain’s attention.

“Oh, you were still here? Sorry.”

With a sigh he said, “So which is it? Are you Yuki or not?” he sounded a bit frustrated. “Please answer truthfully because these girls are going to be a pest since you can’t talk to them.”

Kasamatsu sighed. “Look Oda, until Yuki reveals his identity, this guessing game is going to continue. Why can’t they just wait until then? It isn’t going to kill them, now is it?”

“Apparently, it is.”

“Well, that’s not my problem.” Kasamatsu said with sass.

Akagi, who was feigning ignorance joined in and asked, “So what made them think he’s Yuki?”

“Well, according to the interview in the magazine, Yuki’s name is derived from his given name; he likes rock music and is going to Summer Sonic. Add to that, we all know that he’s our age and attends our school.”

“So…because Kasamatsu’s name is Yukio, they think he’s the one, huh?”

“Well, everything matches.”

Akagi shrugged. “Bruh, you’re all over-thinking.” He said. “Just because Yuki and Kasamatsu have things in common doesn’t make them the same person.”

“Wha—?”

“So just run along and tell Asahara and her bitches to drop this because it’s getting nowhere.” The brunette smiled. “Or else they’ll stir up Kasamatsu’s inner yakuza.”

“Inner Yakuza?” Oda asked as he looked to the captain who was busy on his phone.

“Trust me; you don’t want to see it.”

…

Seirin was in a similar state to Kaijou.

But as usual, neither Kagami nor Kuroko could care less about what was happening around them. They changed their shoes at the front lockers and trudged up to their classrooms, sat in their seats comfortably. Kise was always complaining about the detective fangirls and fanboys in Kaijou, but given their personalities, no one would ever suspect them. Especially Kagami.

_But lo and behold…_

“Sora’s hair and eyes are naturally light-blue, huh?” one boy hummed. “So all we have to do is find the guy here, right? I mean, how many people in Seirin have light-blue hair?”

“Is there any?” a female joined in. “Think about it, _if_ that was the case, wouldn’t he stand out like a sore thumb since opening ceremony? I haven’t recalled seeing anyone with light-blue hair let alone blue eyes.”

“Kuroko…” Kagami turned around to look at his partner. “…you’re in the red.”

“I realize.” The shadow sighed. “I just hope I can avoid them for as long as possible.”

“Well, you have been all this time so —”

“Kagami,” a male classmate drew up a chair beside the redhead.

“What?” he asked quickly, squaring up himself to hide Kuroko.

“Can I see something?”

Kagami immediately drew back. He didn’t want to take any chances. “See what?”

“Come on, there’s something that was drawn to our attention.”

“What’s that?”

“I can’t tell you until you let me see your —”

“Stay away!” Kagami screeched, pushing his chair further back. Quickly, he grabbed Kuroko, tucked him under his arm and bolted out of the classroom. His legs carried him to the gym, where he stopped by the doors to catch his breath. “We’re gonna die, Kuroko. We can’t continue to live like this.”

“You’re better off than me.” Kuroko sighed. “ _At least_ you don’t have light blue hair.”

“But you’re a ghost, Kuroko. You’ll be fine.”

“Not when the teacher calls my name in attendance.”

“Shit.” Just then, the tiger saw his companion whip out his cell phone and positioned it at his ear. “Who’re you calling?”

“Kenji-san.” Kuroko replied.

“Why?”

“Because, we’re going home.” He deadpanned. “I’m _not_ staying in this mess.”

“Right…” Kagami nodded. “So…who’s going to get our bags?”

“I will. I’m a ghost, remember?”

_xxxx_

The instant Takao stepped through his classroom door, his friends Tsukiyama and Honda grabbed him and pushed him out back into the hallway.

“Takao, there’s something we need to discuss.” Tsukiyama started in a frightening tone. The two trapped Takao at the wall, flanking him on his left and right.

“Umm, you guys are scaring me.” Takao started, “I didn’t do it!” he said to defend himself.

“It’s not that.” Honda said. “Tell us, and we promise not to tell anyone else, you’re Taka of Catal Rhythm aren’t you?”

Takao didn’t even stiffen. Putting his acting to good use, he said coolly, “where’d you get that idea from?”

But his friends will have none of it.

“You and Taka sound alike.” Honda started. “When you said “Ai-chan” the other day, it sounded a lot like how Taka said it on Juuzou’s radio show.”

“So…? People sound alike, you know?” Takao countered.

“In Idol Monthly, Taka says his name means “Hawk”, the kanji in your name means the same thing. _Plus,_ you have what people in basketball dub “eagle or hawk” eyes. Both of you have some connection with “hawk”.” Tsukiyama argued. “Who else in our cohort matches that?”

“Uh, uh,” Takao couldn’t think of a quick-witted reply.

The two smirked in victory. “I thought so.”

“But you mustn’t tell anyone! If you do, my manager will skin you alive!”

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us.” Honda grinned. “Who would’ve thought though?” he chuckled.

“But his personality fits being an idol. Chirpy, troublesome, quirky…” Tsukiyama nodded. “Yes, why didn’t we suspect you before? Hell, why hasn’t anyone suspected you before?!” he burst out laughing.

“I don’t know and I don’t want them to.” Takao sighed. But inwardly, he prayed that no one else will start to suspect him. He’s heard Kise whine and complain about his daily struggles, and frankly, he couldn’t deal with additional stress.

“So,” the point guard was taken out of his thoughts by Tsukiyama, “tell us, are you and Hattori dating?”

Takao groaned in distress.

_xxxx_

“Today has got to be the worst day of my life!” Takao screeched as he sat in the sofa. “Could you believe that my two closest friends figured me out!?” he said, almost ripping his hair out. “Just by my _voice?!”_

“Damn…” Kagami said in pity. “I was almost caught as well…but Kuroko…” he said as he looked across to his shadow. “I don’t think he can ever go back to school.”

“I can, Kagami-kun.” The small teen deadpanned. “All I have to do is wear a cap like last time.”

“What about your eyes?”

“Contacts.”

At the moment, the three boys from Tokyo were home, although, Kuroko and Kagami had faked severe illnesses so that the school nurse had to get Kenji to pick them up. At first, the manager was shocked because they were perfectly fine when he dropped them off, but as soon as they entered the van…he realized what was up.

“I don’t think we can continue to live like this.” Takao sighed. “I really don’t.”

“But what are we going to do?” Kagami asked. “Go on national TV and show our faces?”

“On the contrary, I have an idea.” Kuroko smiled. “We —”

“Guys!” a screech took them out of their conversation. The front door bust open, revealing a dishevelled looking Kise. His uniform wasn’t even buttoned properly, his belt buckle was partially done, his hair was matt with sweat and sticking out all over the place —Kise looked like a mauled animal.

“What the hell happened to you?” Kagami asked in fright at the terrible look of the model.

“Senpai!”

At this, the others were on high alert. Hearing the blond’s tone of voice, they assumed that there was something wrong with the captain. Add to that, he hasn’t come home with Kise.

“What about Yu-chan?” Takao asked with worry. “Is —is he hurt?”

Kise flung his shoes off and stormed in, heading to their bedroom to change into something comfortable. He rummaged for a t-shirt and knee-length shorts, and returned to the living room where the others were, ignoring Kagami’s shout of “that’s my shorts!”. It was a usual thing for them to be wearing each other’s clothes as long as they fit. At the moment, Takao was in one of Kasamatsu’s shirts and Kagami was in Kise’s t-shirt and neither of the boys cared.   

“So…?” Takao prompted for the blond to talk.

“Senpai is gone to meet Reiko-nee! Like…he’s gone to meet Reiko-nee!” Kise screeched. “I need to know what the hell they’re scheming!”

The others were not amused.

“Calm the hell down.” Kuroko sighed. “So what? Didn’t you want them to be together _anyway?”_

“Yes I do!” Kise shouted. “But that’s not the point. I want to know what they’re up to! All throughout practice Senpai was texting her and smiling!” he shrieked with wide eyes. “Senpai _doesn’t_ smile during practice no matter what! Either they’re plotting something or Senpai is finally making a move!”

“Kise, you’re overreacting.” Kagami tried to calm him down. They had all known the reason for Kasamatsu to be meeting with Reiko, so they had to keep the blond in the house. “Think about it, if Kasamatsu was scheming, wouldn’t we be in on it as well? Yet, we’re sitting here listening to you whine.” He said, totally ignoring the latter of the blond’s sentence.

“You’re supposed to listen to me whining!”

“Okay, okay.” Takao chuckled, realizing this was going nowhere. “But we can’t go spy or anything if that’s what you want; we’ve got vocal lessons and Korean Language class to go to.”

“Damn…I forgot.” Kise hissed.

“But…” Takao continued with a smile, “…We can wrestle the info out of him, no? Especially you, Martial Artist-san.”

Kise grinned.

_xxxx_

Kasamatsu sat idly by the window, sipping on a soda. He glanced at his watch every now and then, but whom he was waiting on was nowhere in sight. But given that he was alone, his mind wandered. The first time he met Reiko was on the day that they were going to shoot the video for that online competition. Sure, he’s heard Kise talk about his sisters —his entire family by extension—but he’s never met either of them except Ryouhei. So he never thought anything of it after Takao uploaded the video to Seimei.

But then, Kise found a way to send her crashing into his life and unexpectedly, staying there. He brought her to her graduation ball where he had tons of fun with her and her friends especially Asao and Takeru since they loved basketball as well. Then, they exchanged numbers before the night was over and became text buddies who even call each other ever so often.

And the captain could _feel_ a part of him becoming slightly giddy at the mention of her name, he could feel his cheeks heating up whenever she called and he heard her voice.

“Yukio…” he mumbled to himself. “…this is abnormal behaviour. What’s wrong with you?” But he had a feeling of what’s “wrong”.

“Kasamatsu-kun~!” a high pitched voice took him out of his thoughts. The very same voice that makes his cheeks heat up.  

The beautiful blond girl known as Kise Reiko.

She was dressed casually —green jeans pants hugging her thighs snugly, with a white blouse tucked into the waist. Her sneakers were white with green stripes. 

“Did I make you wait long?” she asked panting as she took her seat beside him. “I had to get out of the taxi early because of the goddamn traffic.”

“Yes, my soda is finished.” The captain said, shaking the cup to make the ice rattle.

Reiko pouted, “You’re supposed to deny it.”

“Really?”

“Yes really Kasamatsu-kun!” her pout was still present. “It’s the typical role of a gentleman to say he didn’t wait long even if he waited for a century!”

“Oh? Well, I guess I’m not a gentleman and will never be.” He shrugged.

Reiko stared at Kasamatsu with disbelieving eyes. But she knew what he was like from their texting and calls. With a chuckle she said, “Kasamatsu-kun, you know, you’re pretty awful.”

“It runs in the family.” He grinned.

Her bright eyes narrowed at him. “You don’t want to know what runs in my family.”

Kasamatsu sweat-dropped. Makio did say that the Kise family were a bunch of thugs and gangsters but frankly, he found it hard to believe.

“But anyway,” she chirped with a bright smile. “Let’s begiiiiin!” She pulled out a small notepad and pen from her bag.

“Hai, hai, Reiko-san.”

Suddenly, she stopped. Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow at her, confused.

“You know, _Yukio-kun,”_ she started, making him jolt at the mention of his given name. “It’s not fair that you call me by my name but I call you Kasamatsu-kun.”

“But…but…I can’t call you “Kise”, that’s reserved for your brother.”

She made a mischievous smile. “Sooo~” she sang quite off-key, “I’ll call you “Yukio”, whether you like it or not.”

“But…”

“Don’t “but” me. Your name is cute.” She grinned. “How do you write it? Do you include the kanji for “snow”? Or…?”

Kasamatsu turned his face away to hide his blush when she said his name was cute. “No…I was born in the summer so it’s “happiness”.”

“Ohhh…” Reiko nodded, her expression turning impish. “Heeh? Are you _blushing,_ Yukio-kun?” she teased.

“N—no!” he quickly defended. “I’m not!”

Reiko grinned mischievously. “Oh really? Then tell me, why is your face as red as a tomato? And why did you stutter?”

“I…I have a…I have a fever.” He mumbled while using a hand to fan himself. This prompted Reiko to roar with laughter. Her laugh was much different from Kise’s, but one thing they had in common, they were extremely contagious. Not before long, Kasamatsu found himself chuckling at the mere sight of seeing her laughing.

After she came out of her laughing fit, she grinned, somewhat reminding Kasamatsu of Kise due to her blinding smile. “But enough chit-chat, let’s get down to business, _Yukio-kun~”_

Kasamatsu could only grunt. _She’s going to be the death of me…_

_xxxx_

By the time he and Reiko decided to wrap up, the captain only had time to head to the Complex for his lessons. When he reached, he saw his other four bandmates sitting in Ichinose’s class awaiting their teacher’s arrival.

“Yo,” he said lazily as he walked in.

“Yu-chan, what took you so long?! Ryou-chan told us you were with Rei-chan, is that true?!” Takao started, firing the “questions” without hesitation. Kasamatsu inwardly smiled, as he knew that Takao knew where he was and with who from prior planning.

“Yeah, we just talked about stuff, you know?” he smiled, taking a seat beside the blond.

“Stuff like…?” Kise inquired, wiggling his eyebrows and making suggestive faces at the older teen.

“Like how in the future I’m going to make her squirm beneath my touch.” Kasamatsu deadpanned with an eye roll. The only reason he replied like that was due to Kise’s tone of voice and his expressions.

The blond ace let out a startled gasp, pushing his chair away from his captain in shock. Kuroko snapped his book shut at the reply, Kagami looked slack-jawed and Takao…he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“What?” Kasamatsu asked as though he hadn’t just said a rather… _outrageous_  sentence.

“Senpai…I never knew you had such a…a…a…” Kise didn’t even what to say.

“A what?”

“A —”

 _“Annyeonghaseyo!”_  Ichinose greeted as he strolled in with couple papers in his hands. He wore a bright smile on his face, and immediately, the boys knew that they were in for a real treat.

 _“Annyeonghaseyo.”_ They replied. _(Hello)_

_“Jal jinaesseo?” (How have you been?)_

_“Pigonhaeyo.”  (Tired)_ Kagami grumbled.

“More like exhausted.” Takao said.

“Korean, Takao-kun.”

Takao said nothing more. Given what happened today, he wasn’t in the mood to be talkative like usual. Ichinose raised an eyebrow in confusion, as normally, Takao would be chatting away, even if he was completely incorrect with grammar and pronunciation and lacked vocabulary.

“Is there something wrong?” the instructor finally asked.

“My identity was found out by closest friends!” Takao screeched. “I thought my high school life would have ended!”

“Kuroko and I had to fake an illness to escape school!” Kagami shouted. “Student detectives are no joking matter!”

“Senpai is planning on deflowering my sister!”

Ichinose choked on air. He completely disregarded what Takao and Kagami said, but focused his attention on Kise who was cowering from an indignant Kasamatsu. “What was that, Kise-kun?” he asked. “Did you just say…that…?” he couldn’t even continue his sentence.

“He said nothing Sensei.” Kasamatsu snarled, grabbing the blond in his throat. “Nothing at all.”

“Pray for his soul, Sensei.” Kagami said to the instructor. “If not, he’s going to die when we get home.”

“O…okay?” Ichinose didn’t even how to reply. But quickly changing the subject, he said, “it’s time for your test.”

The boys let out a stressed groan while Kasamatsu whispered to Kise “I’ll kill you after dinner”.

“We had one couple weeks ago! Why are you doing this to us?! Don’t turn into Kenjicchi!” Kise whined.

“Well, you need to be assessed regularly. And, there’s something that I need to tell you.”

“What’s that?” Kasamatsu asked.

“After.” Ichinose smiled.

The teacher handed the first set of papers to the boys which was a reading comprehension. It was a short test, so their time limit was thirty minutes. And doing what they do best, they had to complain _first_ before they actually started.

When they were done with that, they had a ten minute break before they were at it again with a listening comprehension. Ichinose crackled at their expressions, as at this moment, they were whining and in Kise’s case, actually screaming at the cruelty of their teacher. Yet again, this was another short test which required thirty minutes as well.

And all throughout, Ichinose sat and watched them with amusement, their expressions as they go through the paper was quite hilarious. He never observed them to prevent cheating, his boys were totally different. If they didn’t know the answer to a question, they’ll blatantly ask him like “Ne, Ichinose-sensei, what’s the answer for question “x”?” and when he didn’t answer, they’ll turn to each other with the excuse, “it’s teamwork”.

Their final test was an oral test, where Ichinose asked them a myriad of simple questions in which they should give a proper and detailed answer. And yet again, the man roared with laughter as they sometimes struggle to pronounce some of the words. Kise was the funniest of them all, where he almost shed tears. But the instructor knew that the blond wasn’t too fond of the language and he had no idea why.

…

“Well done, boys.” Ichinose said as he shuffled the papers before him. “Not bad.”

“So…did we fail?” Takao asked.

“No, no way!” Ichinose said, waving his hands in dismissal. “Get rid of that negative thought.” He then stood from his chair and sat on his desk before his five boys with a smile on his face. “The reason for this is because you needed to know who the best at Korean is.”

“Why?” Kuroko asked.

“Let me finish.” Ichinose sighed. “You guys want world domination, right?” they nodded. “Then you can’t dominate the world if you can’t communicate with your international fans. So, what we usually do is assign each member of a group one language so that when you go to a different country, at least one of you can be the group’s spokesperson.”

“Oh.” Kasamatsu said with a bit of relief in his voice.

“So that said, Kagami-kun, going by your grades, you’re the one who’s better in Korean than your bandmates.”

“EEEHHHH?!” came the manly screeches.

“How is that possible!? He failed English in first year!” Kise screeched.

“Hey! Are you still going on that?!” the tiger roared. “Korean isn’t so bad! We don’t have to worry about kanji!” he then defended, “English is a shit ton harder than Korean! There’s no way you can compare the two!”

“I refuse to believe this!”

“Refuse all you want, Kagami-kun’s grades are all A’s.”

Cue another screech of disbelief. _If this continues, I’ll end up deaf._ Ichinose thought stressfully. He allowed them to carry on with their antics, firing questions at the frightened redhead. This went on for at least couple minutes before the instructor continued.

“So, Kagami-kun, you’ll continue to learn Korean with me, but the rest of you are free to choose a language from these —Spanish, French, Mandarin and probably Thai or…”

“French!” Kise screeched.

“Spanish!” Kasamatsu screamed. “I don’t want to learn Thai. _Ever.”_

“Why is that Kasamatsu-kun?” Ichinose asked, genuinely curious as to why the eldest teen was so against the language.

“Because they sound like Chinese when they speak but when they write it looks like some form of Arabic.” The captain mumbled. “I’m not about that life.”

Ichinose chuckled. “Well, you would have been given English as another option but given that Kagami-kun has lived in America, it made no sense.”

“What?! So I have to be their mouthpiece in English _and_ Korean?!” the tiger screeched in shock. “No fair! Let Senpai do English! He writes his songs partially in the language! And he’s the eldest!”

“Eh? Really?” Ichinose asked in disbelief.

“It’ll be good for you, Frontman-san~!” Takao said in a sing-song voice.

“Shut up!” Kasamatsu roared. “How many times are we going to go to South Korea, huh?! So it shouldn’t be a problem if you do English as well. Man up and take the damn language!”

“How many times we go to Korea isn’t the point here. It’s when we’re going to North America I’d have to speak it, and don’t let me get started on places in Europe where no one has the time to be learning German and Polish and Finnish and all those fancy languages!” Kagami countered. “So _you_ man up and take the language!”

“I wanted Spanish! I don’t need to “man up”!”

Ichinose sat back and watched their argument with sheer amusement. Kagami would argue one point and Kasamatsu would clapback with equal strength with his and vice-versa. Even Ichinose himself didn’t know why he was watching their scream fest.

“Alright, alright.” The instructor began when he was worried that they’ll damage their vocal chords. They had Akamine after this, and he didn’t want the vocal coach to chew his head off.

“But I don’t want to learn Mandarin.” Kuroko grumbled amidst the screaming.

“Me neither.” Takao shook his head.

“Alright, how about we do around of janken to decide who gets what?” Ichinose suggested at long last.

 _“Non, non! J’adore la langue française !"_ Kise screeched.

“I have no idea what you just said, but it seems like you’re fit for French, Kise-kun.”

“ _Oui!”_

“How’d you know French?!” Kagami asked, forgetting that he was arguing with Kasamatsu.

Kise flipped his hair with pride. “When you have an older sister who hauls your ass with her every time she goes to Paris Fashion Week, you’d pick up a few things too.”

“Oh~ you’ve been to Paris?” Takao asked with burning curiosity.

The blond nodded. “Reiko-nee too.”

“Boys, come on!” Ichinose said to regain their attention. “There’s Spanish, Mandarin and English. Who’s doing what?”

“Senpai’s doing English. He’s got to.” Kise grinned.

“I’m not! I want to do Spanish!”

“No fair! I’m not doing Mandarin! Do you know hard that shit is!?” Takao screeched.

“Can’t be harder than English and its shit ton of rules.”

Irritated at their constant bickering, Ichinose assigned them himself. “Here are the languages: Kagami —Korean, Kise —French, Kasamatsu —English —”

“What?!” Kasamatsu gasped out in disbelief. “No! How could you?!”

“—Takao —Mandarin, Kuroko —Spanish.” Ichinose continued as though he wasn’t interrupted not too long ago.

“What?” Takao asked, slightly enraged. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“I used the alphabet. Your names in order are Kasamatsu, Kuroko then Takao. And “E” is a vowel so naturally, English would have been given to your leader. Next is the “M” line, which meant Kuroko would have gotten Mandarin. And you know the rest.”

“Shit…” Takao gasped, almost breaking out in tears while Kuroko beamed in his seat.

“Don’t be so despondent!” Ichinose tried to cheer them (Kasamatsu and Takao) up. “Look, don’t you want world domination?” they looked up at him, before exchanging glances with each other. “Then, mastering your languages will all be worth it.”

“I guess.” Kasamatsu grumbled.

“Well, the Chinese are taking over the world so…” Takao shrugged.

“Wait.” Kise said with a serious tone. “Since Senpai is our frontman, won’t he need to know more than just English?”

“Oh hell no.” Kasamatsu hissed. “You’re not going to be stressing me out more than you already are.”

“Frontman? Isn’t that a term rock bands use? That doesn’t apply to you.” Ichinose responded, confused. But then, he remembered what Akamine said about their song composition and put the two things together. “You aren’t planning on…?”

“We’re taking over the world, Sensei.” Kise said with a knowing smirk. “Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Oi. You aren’t serious?” he probed. The looks on their faces were a dead giveaway on what he said earlier.

“Woah! Look at the time! Aka-sensei is going to skin us alive!” Takao shrieked, when he grabbed Kasamatsu’s wristwatch and looked at the time. And like that, the five bolted out the door, leaving a stunned Ichinose.

“They’re really planning on being rock band?” he breathed out in shock. “Is that even possible?”

_xxxx_

Their vocal class went on pretty smoothly, Akamine seeming to be their only instructor who hasn’t found out their plans of a “side-project” —which was somewhat good because neither of the five could handle another lecture as to why idols cannot become rockstars.

So by the time they reached home, all the five did was lounge in their living room in an awkward silence. There was a stifling aura coming out of Kasamatsu, and no one dared to question him. Kise, on the other hand, however, headed to the kitchen to avoid his captain’s wrath. But, who could wrong the blond for thinking such a thing? Given what Kasamatsu said…

“Ne, Yu-chan,” Takao started in a low voice. “Did you get the info?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” Kasamatsu huffed, whipping out the notepad.

“Maybe you were too busy flirting with Reiko…” Kuroko sang as he turned the page of his novel.

“Or maybe you were too busy singing to her and winning her heart.” Kagami snickered.

Kasamatsu twitched with annoyance. Wordlessly, he headed into the kitchen, startling Kise, reached for a knife and walked back to the living room.

“I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Calm down, Senpai!” Kagami screeched, taking shelter behind the sofa. While they all knew that Kasamatsu cursed, it was only when he was extremely mad and discarded his self-control. That meant, at this present moment, the captain was livid. “We were just teasing! Come on!”

“I don’t need to be teased by you! Reiko already —!” he abruptly broke off when he realized what he was about to say.

“Hmm?” Takao smirked. “What’s that?”

“Utter another word and I’ll slit your throat.” The captain said with the knife pressed at Takao’s neck.

“Yes Sir.”

Meanwhile, Kise was in the kitchen dying of laughter. _Never a dull moment with these idiots._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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